Kyellu Tsamdu’s vast experience in the music business stems from her early foray into the industry, which began in 2014 when she was still pursuing a degree at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.
What started as an Instagram fan page inspired by her love for Afrobeats star Reekado Banks paved the way for her to become an extension of his marketing team.
The opportunity to work with one of Nigeria’s breakout stars of 2014 gave Tsamdu her first professional introduction to the music business, and she didn’t look back. After graduating with First Class Honours in Telecommunication Engineering, she joined Reekado Banks’ team as a Project Manager.
Twelve years later, Kyellu Tsamdu retains a sharp curiosity about music and how it shapes culture. She has taken her expertise to different companies, where she held key positions and contributed to the success of music projects, talent development, and revenue growth.
From consulting for companies like Universal Music Group to serving as Head of Bookings for one of Africa’s leading entertainment companies, emPawa, Tsamdu has accumulated wide experience across strategy, marketing, touring, and artist development. It is this wealth of knowledge she is bringing to her company, Riju Music, which provides digital and marketing solutions to emerging and underserved artists.
In this interview, the recipient of the prestigious TurnTable 30 Under 30 Music Power Players Award shares her journey into the music business and her vision for Riju Music.
Mavin Records’ ‘Dorobucci’ is an important song to Kyellu Tsamdu because it sparked her interest in music and led her to open an Instagram fan page, which in turn led to her first job.
“My journey began in 2014, just a few months after ‘Dorobucci’ exploded. I was still in school, but I had this growing fascination with how music shapes culture. I became a huge fan of Reekado Banks and decided to build a fan community around him. I started a fan page on Instagram, and a couple of weeks later, he noticed and reached out. That led to an introduction to his manager, and soon I found myself contributing to their release and marketing strategies.”
From running a fan page, Tsamdu evolved into contributing to marketing strategy before becoming a Project Lead for Reekado Banks.
“At the time, I didn’t realize how significant those early contributions were. But they set the tone for everything that followed. After my degree and NYSC, I formally joined his team as a project manager, and that’s where my professional journey began.”
When she started, she was a curious graduate eager to impact the Nigerian music industry with her creative marketing and branding ideas. These ideas eventually earned her credibility and recognition among industry professionals after her efforts on Reekado Banks’ hit song ‘Oluwa Ni’.
“I was young and relatively unknown, but I was trusted with meaningful work. That trust became my entry point. One early win was seeing a rollout strategy for ‘Oluwa Ni,’ which I contributed to gaining traction. That result showed me I wasn’t just passionate about music, but I could actually build structure and strategy around it. That changed everything for me.”
The passion and experience from her first job helped her excel in roles at Probot Digital, where she managed artists’ releases and marketing efforts, and later at international entertainment company emPawa, where she oversaw global bookings for superstar artists Mr Eazi and Joeboy.
“In one week, I’m executing a show in Kigali, the following week, I am securing international festival spots for our superstar artists.”
During her time with emPawa, she contributed to several campaigns for artists on the company’s roster. She also facilitated successful tours in the US and UK, with bookings across multiple countries, including Suriname, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.
“I learnt how to operate in different industries and gained valuable skills in several aspects of the business,” she shares about the vast experience she accumulated during her stint with emPawa.
Kyellu Tsamdu’s curiosity and search for innovative solutions led her to the University of Leeds for an MSC (distinction) in Global Strategy and Innovation Management.
She has brought this wealth of knowledge into launching her company, Riju Music, which she says is aimed at bridging the gap between talent and access to infrastructure. In an ecosystem where emerging and underserved talents are often exploited, she is using her expertise to provide digital and marketing solutions that can help these artists achieve long-term success.
“There was a clear gap between raw talent and real infrastructure. A lot of African artists had visibility, but not enough had consistent access to fair, structured support. I started Riju to change that. The goal wasn’t to be another service provider; it was to become a long-term partner in helping artists grow viable careers.”
She describes her company’s philosophy as “a structure with soul, and vision backed by systems.” Under her leadership, Riju Music is already mapping out solutions across creative strategy, marketing, royalties, bookings, and publishing.
To achieve the goal of building an African music company that operates at high standards and makes it easy for artists to cross over regardless of their location, Riju Music partnered with international label TRIBL Records to power its gospel catalog.
