From beats to bytes: AIAM's first AI-driven African music projects

From beats to bytes: AIAM's first AI-driven African music projects

16 April 2026 - Wits University

Five artist-engineer teams of Wits University's AI & Africa Music (AIAM) Project unveiled prototypes exploring AI and African musical traditions.

After six months of intense collaboration, the five artist-engineer winning teams of the inaugural AI & Africa Music (AIAM) Project presented their prototypes at a showcase event in the Chris Seabrooke Music Hall at Wits on 16 April 2026.

Led by Professor Christo Doherty from the Wits Innovation Centre (WIC) in partnership with the Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery (MIND) Institute, the initiative focused on how AI can be used to preserve, reimagine, and responsibly co-create with African music practices.

The event brought together academics, students, and representatives from the creative, music and technology sectors. Supported by Wits alumnus, PhD candidate and US-based music executive, Charles Goldstuck, the five winning projects highlight considerations such as ethics, consent, provenance and creative ownership.

"The language of music is universal, but we all owe a debt of gratitude to the African continent which was the origin of so much of the early influences that humanity experiences in music and culture. The AIAM Pilot Project is an opportunity to continue to enhance African human creativity in the era of artificial intelligence, building on influences that have shaped music for centuries," says Goldstuck.

Culture-first, ethics-driven design

The AIAM Pilot Project began in November 2025. It reflects Wits University's leadership in culturally informed, ethical approaches to using AI in music, which prioritises collaboration with communities and experts to strengthen creative sovereignty while advancing technical excellence.

"Artificial Intelligence offers tremendous possibilities for African musicians, and not only challenges that need to be controlled through regulation. The Wits AI and African Music project created an opportunity for African musicians to work together with African AI engineers to explore these possibilities through creative collaboration and knowledge sharing," says Doherty, who holds the Angela and David Fine Chair in Innovation at the Wits Innovation Centre.

AIAM brought together artists and engineers from seven African countries - South Africa, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria - in a Community of Practice, along with industry and research professionals, such as Tresor, the multi-award-winning Congolese-born singer, songwriter, music producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Their collaborations explored Archiving & Preservation, Creative Practice & Collaboration, Tool Development & Localisation, and Genre Innovation-advancing Africa-led approaches to music-AI.

What a showcase!

Held at the Chris Seabrooke Music Hall at Wits University on Thursday, 16 April 2026, the showcase featured live performances, listening stations and demonstrations, as well as offering insight into how these prototypes function both musically and technically.

The project winning teams are:

• ZAZI: A "musical digital twin" enabling real-time voice, rhythm, and storytelling interaction. Conceptualised by Umlilo (South Africa) - multidisciplinary artist and creative director at Future Kwaai Records - working with Gideon Gyimah (Ghana), an AI engineer specialising in financial-sector voice-AI and multilingual African speech-technology systems.
• The Bɛ̀bɛ̀i Engine, a performative AI instrument co-created with the Baka community to preserve endangered polyphonic traditions. Created by Joshua Kroon (Cameroon) - multidisciplinary artist and cultural documentarian - partnered with Emmanuel Apetsi (Ghana), an AI/ML engineer leading open-source AI infrastructure and multilingual LLM development across Africa.

"Artificial intelligence is neither good nor bad; it is a neutral reflection of those who imprint it. That is exactly why projects like the Wits AI and African Music Project matter. When African musicians, engineers, and researchers collaborate across cultures, something powerful happens: technology begins to carry the rhythm, stories, and spirit of our people. What inspired me most was witnessing how creativity and artificial intelligence amplify each other, not to replace the human element, but to 'expand it.' The future of music technology doesn't have to be imported. It can be homegrown, collaborative, and unmistakably African. Yes, we're not just experimenting with AI. We're shaping how the world will experience African creativity for generations to come," says Apetsi.

• Bina.ai, an AI children's music and storytelling platform rooted in African genres and early-learning principles, by Ehinome Ogbeide (Nigeria) - music strategist and digital innovator - and Muhigiri Ashuza Albin (DRC), a creative technologist building culturally grounded AI systems informed by community-based design.
• Heritage in Code, a digital archive and AI-fusion engine preserving African instrumental heritage with contributor royalties while enabling contemporary creativity, created by Linda Nyabundi (Kenya) - DJ, producer, and cultural curator - working alongside Gebregziabihier Nigusie (Ethiopia), an AI researcher advancing machine learning for health, language, and cultural-preservation challenges in low-resource contexts.
• TIMah AI, a secure archive documenting Kikuyu traditional music with transcript workflows and community-centred consent governance, led by Tora Nyamosi (Kenya) - AI-driven music producer and cultural researcher - paired with Lawrence Moruye (Kenya), a machine-intelligence engineer specialising in speech, language, and multimodal African-centred applications.