The Business of Building African Music: An interview with Camille Storm

I first came across Camille Storm while reading an article she wrote in The Fader magazine last year on Rema, one of Nigeria’s major break-out artistes from our recent past who was little known at the time. That was my first introduction to the coy wünderkid who’s bedazzled our playlists consistently since, and it led me to pay attention to Storm, who is perhaps one of the covert doyens of the shifting music industry on the continent. Starting out as a music journalist, she has broadened her portfolio significantly in the last four years. From working for several international tastemakers on the scene such as OkayAfrica and Apple Music, to running her own entertainment company, Camille & Co., there is little on the music scene that Storm’s touch hasn’t alchemized. She has also been spotted casually bumping digital shoulders with superstars like WizKid, in one of the most impactful yet unintentional name-drops I have witnessed, showing us exactly where her head is in the game.  

I had the pleasure of interviewing her to hear more about who she is, her thoughts on the current musical landscape in Africa, and what we can do to push it forward.

This interview is lightly edited for content, clarity and typographic consistency.

Photo Credits: Frank Nwafor

Could you give us a brief overview of your work and role in the African music industry? What are some of the highlights of the work you do?

I am a music journalist. I’ve been writing about music since I was 15 and that’s what I’m primarily known for. I have bylines in OkayAfrica, The Fader, Boiler Room, amongst other major publications. Besides that, I began to branch out into the music business around 4 years ago. I think that move came at the right time for me because it was when the world was beginning to pay attention to African music and I realized I wanted to be part of growing our industry in a major way. Because of all my journalism connections it was natural that I ended up in PR so now I’m also a music publicist. Besides that, I like to take various artists under my wing and develop them as an A&R – basically provide them with opportunities to create, connect them to the right people, and plug them into the right spaces so they can be heard. I also consult for various artists and record labels in East and West Africa. For the last 3 years I’ve also been working as a consultant at Apple Music. I do a lot, really. 

How do you think we can build a more robust music ecosystem in Africa – from music production, delivery and distribution, and the coverage of these?

This is a heavy question. First of all, it would pay off for Africans to support and listen to more of their artists. I think it would be amazing to reach a point where our music ecosystem is more structured especially in the West and the East. This is hindered by a whole lot of corruption and there’s no telling when and how all this will end. I think everything that’s going on right now is what should be happening. We are uniting, and supporting each other, and moving with confidence. I think a lot of artists need to be more educated on the music business, and even music industry professionals. This will help in building some structure eventually with the way things work. Also, the labels that have a foundation already can continue to pave the way by investing more in their artists and getting more lucrative deals that can put our artists on level ground with the rest of the world.

What are some important changes to the African music landscape that we can expect to see in the next 3 – 5 years, especially as spurred on by developments such as Mr. Eazi’s Empawa Program? 

Well if you’re talking about something like Empawa we definitely expect to see more pan-African collaborations as well as more strategic and integrated digital campaigns being carried out to push emerging African artists, which is really great. Besides that, people like Mr. Eazi are changing the game and inspiring all of us to think long-term and smarter. We shall probably see more artists partnering with investors to run their own labels and this can propel our scene in a massive way. But also, as we now know… labels are becoming outdated as well and independent artists can do a lot more now thanks to streaming, social media etc. Big labels may have to do a lot more to keep artists. All in all, Africa is such a good place to be right now in the world of music. More companies will come to invest in us. Things are just beginning to take off and the opportunities are endless. 

Photo Credits: Brian Bett

What do you look for in an artist? How does one cultivate a sound that maintains relevance and individuality today, but that also has its ear to the ground and thus has staying power? What does it take to build a ‘sound’, and a movement around it, as well?

Well, for me it's pretty simple. When I hear an undeniably good song, I pay attention right there and then. Undeniable is my keyword. I usually can tell if an artist has major potential or not from a first listen. But also, the artist’s persona, work ethic, and style all come into play. The music is most important for me so that has to stir a lot of passion inside me first.  Once I see the potential with just the music, then we have to figure out how to sell the music and that’s where the artist's individuality and image comes in. It’s always amazing to discover an artist who already has a sense of self and a vision. But if they don’t have it, you have to help them mould their image as well which isn’t always easy. I think when it comes to relevance, no one can deny a good song but for me what stands out is timeless music. I think every artist should aim to make music that we can listen to for many many years to come. Well, those are the kinds of artists I wanna work with anyway...When it comes to building a sound or movement I would think that has to be generational. Every generation kinda grows up with their own influences and inspirations and it tends to culminate in creative innovation. But as for a movement, it definitely has to be more than just music, they have to be tied with other factors such as background, class, ideas etc. 

Tell us more about Camille & Co. What are some exciting projects you’ve worked on in the past, and what do you have lined up for the future?  

Camille & Co. is pretty much a start-up entertainment company. At the moment the services we offer are public relations, artist management, talent development (A&R), artist bookings and general music consulting. We’ve had a variety of clients from Nigeria, Ghana and East Africa including Mavin Records, Anonymous Music, Platoon, amongst many others. Our plans for the future are certainly to be a powerhouse with developing groundbreaking talent on the continent as well as with pushing our talent beyond the continent. We definitely plan to sign some artists to full-time management deals soon. Besides that, Camille & Co. wants to be a major plug between African music and the rest of the world.