The Atlantic Music Expo held this month in Cape Verde highlighted the dual nature of artificial intelligence in the music industry, with delegates acknowledging both its potential and its risks. The event, which serves as a bridge between Africa, Europe, and the Americas, focused on how AI can empower artists while stressing that it cannot replicate human creativity.
AI and Authenticity in Music
Benito Lopes, the expo's director since 2024, stated that the discussions aimed to give performers "more knowledge to explore [AI] the best way without losing their human identity and their creativity." Augusto Jorge de Albuquerque Veiga, Cape Verde's culture minister, emphasized that AI will never cover what is authentic. "You have to work with it, not to be eaten by it," he said. "AI is the present already, so we have to discuss this and find ways to work with AI for the country, for the culture and for the future."
Intellectual Property Concerns
Many of Africa's music markets are considered particularly vulnerable to AI-generated music plagiarizing the work of real artists due to relatively weak legal frameworks for intellectual property protection. The threat extends to deepfakes; South Africa recently withdrew its draft national AI policy after AI-generated citations were discovered within it.
Empowering Artists with Technology
Despite the risks, many delegates highlighted how AI-driven tools for mixing, mastering, and data-driven marketing can help indie artists with limited budgets compete globally. José Moura, co-founder of the AI startup Sona, explained that their technology is built on local music and governed by local artists. "Unlike conventional AI that trains on global averages, Sona is built on local music, governed by local artists, so when it amplifies your sound, it amplifies exactly what makes it yours," he said. "It's the opposite of erasure."
Live Performance and Human Connection
The expo, which precedes the Kriol jazz festival, also emphasized the importance of live music and human interaction in an era of synthetic sounds. The veteran Bissau-Guinean singer Patche di Rima, who performed on the last day, remarked, "I am glad to be here … an artist without media and networking is nothing."
Case Study: Sambaiana's Debut
Sambaiana, a seven-woman ensemble from Brazil, gave their first performance outside their home country at the expo. In the male-dominated samba genre, the group is a rarity. Lead singer Ju Moraes said, "We feel honoured to represent the Brazilian music style. We recognise ourselves here, the energy, the people, the culture and even the architectures are very similar to Bahia." Rayra Mayara, a vocalist and cavaquinho player, added, "We are seven women and no technology can substitute the feeling we give when we play, sing and talk about our daily lives. AI can complement the production process but it is not as a substitute to the human."
Financial Support for Artists
Veiga, whose culture ministry has a budget of only $6 million (less than 1% of the national budget), has been lobbying for allocations from Cape Verde's tourism tax and has created diaspora bonds targeting the large diaspora in places like Boston and Lisbon. The aim is to ensure local artists receive the financial support needed to thrive in today's world.
Oyinkansola Fawehinmi, a Lagos-based entertainment lawyer, cited the example of Nigerian singer-songwriter Fave, who reclaimed an unauthorized AI-assisted version of her track by recording her own remix and adding it to her discography. "In my view, [that] was smart and very business aware," Fawehinmi said. "She essentially reclaimed the 'AI version' and released it as her own official expression."
