PODCASTS
Joshua Baraka on East Africa's Takeover, Afrobeats' Decline & AI in Music
In this new episode of Afrobeats Intelligence, Joshua Baraka breaks down the philosophical divide between East and West African music cultures, why he believes Afrobeats is showing signs of decline, and what it means to make art in an era of AI.
Joshua Baraka is making a case for East Africa’s place at the center of the global music conversation.
by OkayAfrica/Afrobeats Intelligence
Uganda has always had the culture. Now it has the moment. Joshua Baraka is the Kampala-bred artist making a case for East Africa's place at the center of the global music conversation — not as a footnote to Afrobeats, but as a creative force with its own sonic identity, emotional depth, and artistic integrity. His breakout hit "Nana" didn't just chart — it made a statement about what East African music can mean on a world stage.
In this conversation with Joey Akan, Baraka goes beyond the geography debate. He breaks down the philosophical divide between East and West African musical cultures, explains why he believes Afrobeats is showing signs of decline, and explores what it means to make art in an era when AI can replicate the sound but not the soul. He also speaks candidly about the industry's obsession with numbers over artistry, navigating social media scrutiny, and why this moment in African music history demands more from its creators. That live-first culture shapes his skepticism of AI's ceiling in music, too. You can generate a track. You can't accumulate the human experience that makes a performance land.
This is a conversation about where African music is going — and who gets to decide.
This episode of Afrobeats Intelligence is powered by OkayAfrica, the pulse of African culture, and sponsored by Martell.
Watch below.
Listen on Spotify:
Listen on Apple:
Listen to Afrobeats Intelligence on all major platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and subscribe on YouTube to watch full episodes.
