MTV to charm Africans with local sounds

JOHANNESBURG – Video music broadcaster MTV is launching an African channel that will trade Britney Spears, Eminem and Beyonce for Youssou N’Dour, Mandoza and other top homegrown artists.

The youth broadcaster aims to launch an English language African version of its 24-hour MTV Base channel in February 2005, taking African music and culture to some 1,3 million homes in 48 sub-Saharan countries. MTV already broadcasts a mix of U.S.and European pop and rock to Africans on MTV Europe, but it reckons a specially tailored channel with African artists and presenters will swell its audience and showcase oft-neglected African talent.”It will focus on reflecting the tastes and lifestyles of young people in Africa,” an MTV spokeswoman said.”It’s a way of better connecting with our audience there and giving African artists a platform.”MTV Base will feature African-made programmes and local music like South Africa’s kwaito dance music, zouk, from the Caribbean, mbalax, from west Africa and made famous by Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour, and hip-life — the continent’s own version of hip-hop.The channel would also air HIV/AIDS awareness programmes in the world’s worst-hit continent.As well as local music and programmes, MTV would broadcast standard U.S.and European MTV fare, where music stars take viewers on a tour of their houses, or the channel takes a behind the scenes look at how a music video is made.MTV Base Africa will be carried on MultiChoice’s DSTV pay TV platform.MTV Networks Europe is owned by U.S.media giant Viacom.-Nampa-ReutersMTV already broadcasts a mix of U.S.and European pop and rock to Africans on MTV Europe, but it reckons a specially tailored channel with African artists and presenters will swell its audience and showcase oft-neglected African talent.”It will focus on reflecting the tastes and lifestyles of young people in Africa,” an MTV spokeswoman said.”It’s a way of better connecting with our audience there and giving African artists a platform.”MTV Base will feature African-made programmes and local music like South Africa’s kwaito dance music, zouk, from the Caribbean, mbalax, from west Africa and made famous by Senegal’s Youssou N’Dour, and hip-life — the continent’s own version of hip-hop.The channel would also air HIV/AIDS awareness programmes in the world’s worst-hit continent.As well as local music and programmes, MTV would broadcast standard U.S.and European MTV fare, where music stars take viewers on a tour of their houses, or the channel takes a behind the scenes look at how a music video is made.MTV Base Africa will be carried on MultiChoice’s DSTV pay TV platform.MTV Networks Europe is owned by U.S.media giant Viacom.-Nampa-Reuters