SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
"Music Concierge go to great lengths to source tracks from hot local music scenes."
Ashleigh Fleming,
Sales & Marketing
One&Only Cape Town
"Music Concierge go to great lengths to source tracks from hot local music scenes."
Ashleigh Fleming,
Sales & Marketing
One&Only Cape Town
In the last 10 years, Sub-Saharan Africa has become increasingly recognised as one of the fastest-growing regions for inbound tourism in the world.
Luxury retailers, lifestyle brands and a new breed of F&B operators are now seizing upon the opportunities presented by a new and rapidly expanding market.
Investment in the hospitality, retail and F&B sectors has surged. A newly affluent population is emerging. Global brands and ambitious local businesses now have new opportunities to take advantage of both regional and international custom.
Health and wellness tourism is on the rise as global travellers set out to explore the natural splendors of the region, and growing urbanisation has made consumers more aware of and receptive to the offerings of lifestyle brands.
It’s therefore hardly surprising that growing numbers of both premium global players, such as Four Seasons Hotels and regional businesses such as the Leeu Collection, are attempting to establish themselves in this rapidly evolving commercial environment. But if they are to gain and maintain a foothold in the region at this early stage in its development, a clear, distinct and compelling brand identity is essential.
Music Concierge’s Sub-Saharan Africa division has been set up precisely to help hotels, retailers, spas and other lifestyle brands achieve traction in their chosen location by personally engaging with their customers, creating memorable musical experiences that effortlessly express each brand’s unique positioning and personality. With a bespoke, highly focused music strategy enhancing the atmosphere and tying the brand together, Sub-Saharan lifestyle businesses can maintain their edge in the world’s most exciting market.
It can be all-too easy for international brands to treat Sub-Saharan Africa as homogenous, ignoring the rich tapestry of countries and cultures that comprise the region.
Music Concierge, however, understands that every territory comes with its own influences and local sensitivities – what works for one brand in Cape Town can fall flat in Lusaka, or a playlist that turns heads in Lagos might shrug shoulders in Accra.
Appreciation of this diversity directs our approach, as does passion for Africa’s rich musical legacy and modern-day output, whether that’s Malian blues, Mbalax, Afrobeat or the sublime sounds of the kora and the kwela.
Historically, specialist playlisting services have had limited reach in Sub-Saharan Africa, resulting in the proliferation of cookie-cutter soundtracks and inconsistent audio identities. Overlooking the role of sound in this way can spoil atmospheres, damage brands and eat into bottom-line returns.
Music Concierge eliminates that risk. By carefully drawing on a nuanced understanding of the diverse musical cultures within the region, we are able to craft soundscapes that not only echo the essence of a brand that excites its customers, they also communicate a sense of individuality and express an authentic connection to the musical heritage of its location within Africa.
"Music Concierge provided a playlist that embraced each moment of the day, from the stillness of the African sunrise to the electrifying evening Jozi beat."
Christopher Rudolph,
Hotel Manager
Four Seasons
Leeu Collection
The Leeu Collection is a new boutique brand offering international guests exceptional accommodation, wine and wellness in South Africa’s Franschoek Valley.
The hotels and restaurants in the Leeu Collection are resplendent with historic detail – the music selection therefore had to be perfectly pitched between the rich heritage of the individual properties and the forward-looking approach of the brand.
“WHETHER IT BE SPENDING TIME IN THE LEEU ESTATE LIBRARY, ENJOYING BEER AT TUK-TUK BREWERY OR INDULGING IN A NEWLY DISCOVERED WINE AT LE QUARTIER FRANCAIS, MUSIC CONCIERGE HITS THE MARK EVERY TIME.”
Hector De Galard,
Managing Director
Leeu Collection
To read the full case study, please email info@musicconcierge.co.uk
Four Seasons
When Four Seasons brought renewed freshness and vitality to an iconic Jo’burg landmark – it needed a bespoke music concept to match.
Music Concierge created a uniquely modern Afrocentric sound that captured the electric grittiness of ‘New Johannesburg’ while celebrating the brand’s reputation for supplying the utmost in luxury. The playlist helped establish its themed F&B offerings as much-loved destinations for guests and switched-on local residents.
“MUSIC CONCIERGE PROVIDED A PLAYLIST THAT EMBRACED EACH MOMENT OF THE DAY, FROM THE STILLNESS OF THE AFRICAN SUNRISE TO THE ELECTRIFYING EVENING JOZI BEAT. ”
Christopher Rudolph
Hotel Manager
Four Seasons
To read the full case study, please email info@musicconcierge.co.uk
The Silo
One of the most highly anticipated Cape Town openings in recent years, Silo is a striking feat of architectural ingenuity on the V&A Waterfront.
Music Concierge soundtrack for Silo’s public spaces (the reception, bar and café) is inspired by the quirkiness and colour of the interior design, adding vibrance and verve to the industrial backbone of the space. By weaving under-the-radar contemporary sounds with modern African music references, moments of boldness and occasional detours into the more avant garde, we were able to craft a one-of-a-kind concept beftting the extraordinary and highly individual hotel – which swiftly earned a place on Condé Nast Traveller’s 2017 Hot List.
“THE SOUNDTRACK NEEDED TO STAND UP TO THE ICONIC ARCHITECTURE AND TIE TOGETHER THE COLOURFUL INTERIORS AND MAGNIFICENT VIEWS. OUR GUESTS EXPECT THE BEST OF THE BEST - THANKS TO MUSIC CONCIERGE, OUR MUSIC IS NO EXCEPTION."
Luis Pinheiro
General Manager
The Silo
To read the full case study, please email info@musicconcierge.co.uk