Quick Questions with Camilla
-Oibiee
This week is about a triathlete executive in the music industry who loves to cook Lasagne!
We are creating a comic book about the superheroes of the African music industry, describe your superpower as a Regional Manager and what would be your superhero name?
“As a superhero, I’d be like Shuri from Wakanda. My superpower is invulnerability, the one finding a solution to something as opposed to dwelling on the problem. I’ve also nurtured my skill at bringing about “peace”, especially in an industry where you must deal with several personalities! My superhero name would be Phuri.”
Are you team home-cooked meals or team eat-out? Top three meals to either cook or eat out (and where to get them)?
Home-cooked meals any day! I love cooking, cause it’s so therapeutic and I love experimenting with different ingredients and spices! My top 3 meals to make are Lasagna, Chicken wings (all types) & Ugali (maize meal) with beef stew, and Sukumawiki (kale). My food MUST have pepper!
What passion projects are you managing at the moment?
On the work front, there are several that I can’t fully reveal in detail. However, what you can expect is a lot more trans-continental collaborations, revealing new artists from the region who are destined for global success and content! Personally, I’m looking at conquering an Iron Man triathlon!
Regional Manager, East Africa at Ziiki Media what has this journey been like?
It has been very fast-paced, yet interesting! My favorite part of the role is engaging and interacting with my artists daily. Aside from being super celebrities, I have formed strong friendships and a high level of trust with them. Collaborating on new releases, projects, events, etc. has given me a new appreciation for the creative process. I also get to meet different people within the ecosystem across the region through frequent traveling- which has opened my mind to the uniqueness of our similarities and differences. It helps that the team is also made up of young people, so it’s never a dull day in the office. I can confidently say that I wake up every day to do what I love. Plus, I get to listen to music before it’s released which is a bonus!
What are your top 5 blogs, magazines, or pages to follow and why?
Because of the nature of my job, I must stay up to date with ALL the trends.
For Music related content it’s Music Business Worldwide & WeSokoAfrika- great job you are doing!
Business- Harvard Business Review
Tech- TechCrunch
Entertainment- Nairobi Gossip Club & Shaderoom (I need to know whether my artists are behaving, lol!)
Do you think Continental Partnerships would be beneficial for the African Music Industry, if yes what types of partnerships should we be forging?
Most definitely! One thing I’ve seen is how crossing borders elevates an artist. Digital distribution and streaming have both contributed significantly to this- because it has opened new markets for their content to be consumed. The rise of Afrobeats has put Africa on the map, and instead of reinventing the wheel, we can all hop onto the bandwagon. As Africans we share some similarities with culture, food, music, etc. so why not fuse these together and create something even bigger? At Ziiki, we’ve been fortunate to have some trans-continental partnerships and continuously push the East African sound to the world! Keep an eye out for another release very soon.
How do you decompress after a long day?
Cooking and Sleeping! I love sleeping! My day starts at 5.30am in the gym. I’m a triathlete, so I have a very intense workout schedule. Sometimes I have 18-hour days!
What are some marketing practices you believe are harmful, but businesses still employ in the music industry?
Clout chasing in the name of Marketing. Given that the music will trend for a while, but the reputation of the artist and brand associated with them loses credibility as time goes by.
Your name is going in the hall of fame for people who impacted the music Industry, what would your quote be?
My mother always used to tell me, “I wish you could cram your arithmetic numbers in school the same way you sing songs word for word”….what you say now, mama?