Making waves at a young age, Nigerian singer, songwriter, and dancer Qing Madi is a rising star. Her breakout hit, "Ole" featuring BNXN, achieved platinum status selling over 100,000 units and 17.5m + on-demand streams. Her debut EP, self-titled ‘Qing Madi,’ was released on the 17th of December, 2023 included the gold-certified track "American Love." with 12.5 m+ on-demand streams and 8,330 units sold. Signed to both JTON Music and Sony Music Entertainment, Qing Madi is poised for continued success. Sony Music’s A&R Manager in West Africa, Princess Okereugo, is one of TurnTable Chart’s Executives of April. This interview is about Qing Madi’s growth and achievements as well as other artistes associated with Sony Music.

TTC: Breaking Barriers: Qing Madi's recent achievement marks a significant milestone for female artistes in the West African music scene. Can you talk about the specific strategies you implemented to support her rise to the top 10? Princess Okereugo: Majorly we made sure the repertoire was special and was gonna stand out amidst the crowd, we made sure we had her Unique Selling Point (USP) mapped out. We carefully curated her debut EP to give the audience a diverse feel of her sound and what she’s about. Thankfully, as we presumed it got accepted well. TTC: Building All-Stars: Your portfolio includes a diverse range of talent, from Mayorkun's established Afropop sound to Gyakie's rising prominence. How do you tailor your A&R approach to cultivate the unique potential of each artiste? Princess Okereugo: All the artistes on our roster have their individual styles and sounds and this helps to use various strategies for each different artiste. TTC: The Art of Discovery: Finding the next big star requires a keen eye for talent. What are some of the key qualities you look for when scouting for new artistes in West Africa? Princess Okereugo: Typically I would look out for a special voice or tone, stand-out personality, songwriting skills, unique melodies, and flows. All of them combined would make for a great artiste, but sometimes most parts would have to be developed if all the traits aren’t there. TTC: Beyond the Music: The industry today encompasses more than music creation. How do you, as an A&R Manager, work with your artistes to develop their brand and presence beyond the music itself? Princess Okereugo: Voice training and performance training and media training. TTC: Sony's Vision: West African music continues to gain global recognition. How does Sony Music, as a major label, contribute to this growth, and what is your vision for the future of West African music on the international stage? Princess Okereugo: We intend to export talents as well but all in due time. Mayorkun and Gyakie are well on their way to also tapping into the market in connection to Africa, the likes of Libianca, Tems, Davido, and Wizkid. Recently, we also took on artiste development as one of our plays in the region. We've started with rolling out F3line, recently signed Milar who is Ayra’s brother, and Amara in the pipeline coming. We rely heavily on our international marketing and labels to help us connect with the international market if and when anything sparks up.