Spotify has launched its latest original podcast, Culture Club, where guests come together to discuss music in all its forms and genres across the continent. Kicking off with bold, high-energy, the debut episode is titled Afrobeats.
Hosted by Benewaah Boateng, Spotify’s Senior Editor for West Africa, and Michelle Atagana, Head of Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa, the premiere takes listeners on a fun, insightful, and fresh journey through the sound, soul, and story of one of Africa’s most influential genres – Afrobeats.
The launch of Culture Club forms part of Spotify’s wider Afrobeats: Culture in Motion campaign — an ongoing celebration of Afrobeats’ evolution over the past five years and the artists, producers, and fans driving its continued rise. The campaign highlights how Afrobeats connects generations, inspires creativity, and shapes the sound of modern Africa.
Through storytelling, witty conversation, and insights, Culture Club brings this narrative to life, spotlighting the passion, innovation, and people behind Afrobeats’ journey from West African roots to global acclaim.
As described in the episode, “Afrobeats is the girl who, every season, shows up with a new look, bold, fresh, and unapologetically herself. She’s ever-evolving, always redefining her sound, yet her essence never changes. The rhythm, the base, the pulse, remain the same.”
The episode celebrates this beauty of Afrobeats’ ability to constantly reinvent itself while staying true to its origins. By fusing highlife, hip-hop, dancehall, R&B, and many other sounds with traditional African rhythms into something timeless and borderless, Afrobeats stands as a bold statement of culture and creativity.
“Through Culture Club, Spotify continues to champion the sounds and stories that move the continent, offering listeners a front-row seat to the conversations shaping Africa’s cultural heartbeat,” said Henco Harmse, Spotify’s Editorial Lead, Sub-Saharan Africa.
While Afrobeats leads the way in this debut, Culture Club will go on to explore other genres, cultural moments and creative moments shaping the continent.
Listen to the first episode of Culture Club
