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JOHANNESBURG, MARCH 22, 2021 — Sheer Music Publishing, the largest independent music publisher in Africa, announced it has signed an agreement to represent popular Nigerian artist Iyanya. Iyanya, known for his slick R&B and bright Afro-pop, has released a number of popular singles including “Applaudise,” “Baby Daddy,” “Again” and “Awade'' featuring artists like D’banji, Banky W., Wizkid, Seyi Shay and Dammy Krane.
“All of us at Sheer are excited to represent a songwriter of Iyanya’s stature and versatility. The most interesting producers in popular music are looking for fresh inspiration and, at the moment, that is coming often from Nigeria as the artists and songwriters from this region travel extensively and collaborate with their fellow songwriters from across the globe,” said David Alexander, Managing Director of Sheer.
“With this partnership, I aim to streamline the complexities the music industry is known for, harness my creativity and administer the collection of my royalties effectively. This is an exciting prospect for me as I journey in my music career to the next level,” says Iyanya.
Iyanya rose to prominence after winning the talent competition Project Fame West Africa in 2008 during the show’s first season. After, he went on to co-found the record label Made Men Music Group with Ubi Franklin. He released his debut studio album “My Story” in 2011 including the singles, “No Time” and “Love Truly.” His second LP in 2013, “Desire,” yielded a number of popular singles such as “Kukere” which he partnered with producer DTunes and “Ur Waist” which included additional vocals from Emma Nyra. After he released the Applaudise LP in 2015, Iyanya left Made Men to focus more on releasing singles including the hits “Biko” and “Up 2 Sumting.”
Alexander continued, “My long-term belief is that the rest of African music will become as interwoven with global popular culture. We already see Amapiano from Durban becoming a focus of dance music producers and these two are just the tip of what songwriters from Africa have to offer.”
The Iyanya agreement comes on the heels of an impressive 2020 for Sheer Publishing Africa, which was acquired by Downtown Music Holdings in May. Sheer clients Anatii and Salatiel were featured on Beyonce’s The Lion King and Jeremy Loops has been working with Jake Gosling on multiple singles including the video for “Til I Found You.” Sheer clients were also prolific in sync placements with work on the hit Netflix series, Blood & Water, which will continue into a second season as well as placements in popular South African television and film including “The Girl from St Agnes,” “Trackers,” “Still Breathing” and “Dam.”
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About Sheer Publishing Africa
Sheer Publishing Africa is the largest independent music publisher on the African continent and has an established presence across the key markets in Africa. As the first pan-African music publishing company, Sheer offers a world class experience with local solutions to teach and transfer skills to the music industry. Sheer’s team members play a pivotal role in the establishment of industry bodies such as SAMEX, MOSHITO & CAPASSO and supporting MUSIC IMBIZO and MUSIC EXCHANGE, ONGEA, AZGO, BUSHFIRE and others. Sheer represents the rights of composers and authors ensuring their royalties are paid whenever and wherever their songs are used. Sheer’s Creative team actively explores channels for the songs to be commercially disseminated across industries and around the world. Sheer Publishing has a wide presence across the continent, with a vision to deepen this presence through focused investment in growing existing geographies and continuing exploration of opportunities in new markets. Sheer is a wholly owned subsidiary of Downtown Music Holdings.
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