Ballantine’s True Music Fund Is Offering Support to West African Start-Ups

Since the beginning of Ballantine’s True Music, the brand has played a crucial role in supporting underground entertainment and talent. To support local scenes, Ballantine’s introduced the True Music Fund – a £100,000 grant, split between 10 music-centric entities and collectives who are uplifting their local communities. As well as receiving £10,000 to execute a DE&I-led project, each recipient receives valuable mentorship from established voices in the music industry, opportunities to build their network and marketing support.

This year the brand offered the grant to 10 recipients making an impact on their local music scene. Among them included eight African collectives: Santuri East Africa, iMullar, Femmes and Thems, Africa Rising Music Conference, The Other Radio, Femme Africa, and Anti Mass.

Femme Africa’s mission was to curate an audio technology program that taught women essential industry skills, alongside a 3-week training course to equip participants with practical audio skills. Ayomide Dokunmu formed the Nigeria-based organisation after she noticed the gap between men and women in the music business. 

“Our aim is to amplify & champion the voices of Gen-Z and younger millennial women! We exist to foster community & document culture through a female-focused lens.”

In 2021 they held their first event, Femme Fest, to celebrate the rising female talent in Nigeria and create space for young women to support female-owned businesses while listening to female artists. Expanding the festival’s vision in 2023, the incorporated workshops and panel discussions were presented by The Orchard music distribution. The all-day celebration of women empowered, educated and entertained all in attendance with performances from Bloody Civillian, SGaWD and more. 

In partnership with Ballantine’s True Music Fund, the organisation held a 5-day audio-tech program to sharpen the skills of 18 women and advance their careers with a workshop dubbed “The Sound Lab”. From music production, to live sound engineering and DJing, the sessions were led by key industry players from Nigeria including mix engineer Febe Adedemola and DJs, Dope Ceasar and Simss The DJ. 

Creating these opportunities has opened spaces for more women to develop an interest in production, DJing and sound mixing. As Femme Africa builds a community centred around inclusivity, more women are being introduced to the idea of pursuing careers in the technical side of music, creating a butterfly effect within the genre. 

“Creating a world where young African women can thrive, connect and be celebrated on their own terms.”

While Femme Africa focuses on women in music production, West Africa’s second recipient iMullar is making waves with a different group. The all-inclusive black-owned music community prides itself on being the voice of emerging African music. When African music was in the dark, the Accra-based organisation acted as a bridge between media and the public with its blog, streaming playlists and sound. The creative agency, started by Maxwell Adjavon birthed the iconic iMullar Sound System. The Sound System has been key in throwing events focused on themes that excite ready partygoers, as DJs are underrepresented not only in Accra but all over Africa. 

“Our community exists with the aim of connecting people through music. We showcase exceptional talent and promote the most distinctive new talent and original sounds.” 

By transforming conventional day parties, where DJs were never highlighted, The iMullar team has enabled the rise of many DJs including Afloketra, Baaba Baadu and more. In less than two years the community has spread its wings from hosting in Accra and recently hosted a rave in Jo’burg, South Africa. The series known as ENERGY, because of its lively vibes, is currently in its 9th edition and boasts a divine lineup of DJs focusing on Afrofusion, Afrobeats and a wide array of African sounds. 

Receiving a £10,000 grant from Ballantine’s True Music Fund, iMullar’s mission focuses on a 2-year plan to educate and train over 100 residents before the end of 2025 at the iMullar Sound System. The IMSS conducted its second installment this September powered by Ballantine’s. It consisted of a program with a prolific panel and a DJ workshop and was shut down with an ultimate party that put DJs in the spotlight. 

As Ballantine’s continues to promote African talent, the spotlight has never been brighter on upcoming grassroots talent. From organisations like iMullar, Femme Africa and more

benefactors of the six-figure grant, the fund is making a notable impact on rising African talent. 

Follow Ballantine’s on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube and sign up for the newsletter to hear about future plans for Ballantine’s True Music Fund & to see the recipients shifting culture around the world.

This article was written by Tela Wangeci