by Joey Average
Women in Music Tanzania has appointed Nina Brianna Sokoine as its Vice Chair, marking a shift not just in leadership, but in intent. For Nina, the work ahead is clear and urgent: moving women in music from connection to structure, and from community to systems that consistently produce real outcomes.
“What feels most urgent right now is moving from connection to infrastructure,” she explains. “We have talent, ambition, and community, but too many women are still blocked by the same gaps: limited access to decision-makers, inconsistent pay, unclear pathways into professional work, and a lack of practical support systems that don’t depend on luck or personal networks.”
We featured Nina in EscapeMag Issue 11, recognising her quiet but critical work behind the scenes across law, operations, and partnerships. Her appointment feels like a full-circle moment. One rooted in the same values she has long championed: sustainability, visibility, and clear pathways for women to grow and lead.
“There is also a major visibility and information gap,” Nina adds. “We don’t tell enough stories about the roles women already play across the music ecosystem. When those stories aren’t told, women remain invisible in decision-making spaces, and younger women don’t see a pathway they can follow or believe is viable.”
As Vice Chair, her focus spans protection, structure, and opportunity. From advocating for fair contracts, proper pay, and professional standards, to building predictable systems through mentorship, consistent programming, and partnerships that lead to paid work, training, and long-term investment. “I want to turn knowledge into confidence, visibility into legitimacy, and community into tangible career progress.”
For WIM Tanzania, this appointment signals a renewed commitment to building an industry where women are not just present, but properly supported. For Nina, it is about doing the foundational work that ensures women in music can build real, sustainable careers, and rise into leadership without having to fight the same battles again.
EscapeMag: As Vice Chair of Women in Music Tanzania, what feels most urgent for you right now when it comes to turning community into real, lasting opportunities for women in music?
Nina: What feels most urgent right now is moving from connection to infrastructure, and from “community” to a system that consistently produces real outcomes. We have talent, ambition, and community, but too many women are still blocked by the same gaps: limited access to decision-makers, inconsistent pay, unclear pathways into professional work, and a lack of practical support systems that do not depend on luck or personal networks.
At the same time, there is a major visibility and information gap that fuels these problems. We do not disseminate enough information about the roles women already play across the music ecosystem and the heavy lifting women do behind the scenes. When those stories are not told, women remain invisible in decision-making spaces, and younger women do not see a pathway they can follow or believe is viable.
So for me, the urgency is two-fold. First, building real pipelines through a clear membership value proposition, consistent programming, mentorship, and partnerships that lead to paid opportunities, training, and visibility. Second, pushing out the information that reshapes culture. We need policy support not only in law, but also in mindset. I want to help change the cultural outlook of what the music industry actually is: real work, real professions, real structure, and entirely acceptable for women to work, grow, and lead in it. And while Africa’s industry is still growing and has its own nuances, it is still an industry like any other globally, one that should have clear pathways, standards, and systems that allow women to build sustainable careers and rise into leadership.
Escapemag: You’ve worked across law, operations, and partnerships. How do you plan to translate that behind-the-scenes experience into visible impact for women navigating the music industry today?
Nina: From a legal perspective, I want women to be protected and paid properly. That means practical education around contracts, fees, rights, splits, and professional standards, so women can negotiate with confidence and avoid exploitative arrangements. It also means using my policy lens to advocate for frameworks that support women, not only in law, but also in the cultural norms that shape how women are treated in this industry.
From an operations perspective, I focus on systems. I want support to be predictable, not random. That looks like structured mentorship, opportunity tracking, clear membership benefits, and programs that are consistent enough to actually change outcomes over time. It also means documenting and showcasing the real work women are already doing behind the scenes, so decision-making becomes more inclusive and younger women can see the roles and pathways available to them.
From a partnerships perspective, I know how to bring resources into a community and turn relationships into outcomes. My goal is to secure collaborations with brands, platforms, venues, and institutions that lead to paid opportunities, training, access to stages and studios, and long-term investment in women-led work. In short, I want to turn knowledge into confidence, visibility into legitimacy, and community into tangible career progress.
