By Joey Average
There’s a difference between being visible and being understood. African music has carried global attention for a while now through streams, charts, tours, and collaborations, but PAMOJA felt less about volume and more about grounding. Hosted by YouTube ahead of Grammy weekend in Los Angeles, the second edition of the gathering leaned into togetherness in a way that felt intentional rather than symbolic. As Addy Awofisayo, Head of Music for Sub Saharan Africa at YouTube, put it, “Pamoja represents the collective power of African music and culture on the world stage, uniting the continent, the diaspora, and global collaborators who are actively amplifying the sound and pushing the culture forward.”
The room was full of artists, executives, DJs, families, and diaspora voices side by side, without the usual distance. It didn’t move like a showcase. It felt slower, more considered, a pause to recognise momentum that didn’t arrive overnight, but travelled, survived, and evolved into something global. Legacy sat at the centre, not as nostalgia, but as foundation. The tribute to Fela Kuti, marked by the presence of his family, reinforced the sense that the past isn’t behind the music, it’s still shaping how it moves. By the end, PAMOJA read as more than an event. It felt like a room built with care, holding African music where it stands now, and pointing quietly toward what comes next.
