“There’s nothing to watch on TV” – a phrase bandied around more often than not across generations, across continents. It’s amazing considering there’s so much content, but with programmes ranging from reality to game shows across TV channels, the want for something more interesting and dramatic has increased. People want something new and fresh or so to speak so it’s no surprise that there has been a rise of Video on Demand content being produced for the masses who can’t find anything to watch on TV. With the likes of Netflix and LoveFilm mesmerising people with interesting and often exclusive content, it was only a matter of time before the African Caribbean population demanded content for themselves – channels that spoke to them and told their stories.
There’s been a supply to that demand from industry leaders, iRoko and Ibaka offering all things African from TV shows to films, featuring movies in particular from the second largest film industry in the world – Nollywood. With the rise of this industry, the increase in demand for content has of course risen with it – Africans prove that they cannot be left behind in the digital movement and most certainly not in terms of the entertainment they require. Emerging and established online platforms for African content see to it that this is not the case, however, there still remains a conspicuous lack of Caribbean content.
One of the first platforms to provide streaming and downloadable content from Africa and The Caribbean to a global audience is Udala, providing content in both English and French, therefore catering to the wider scope of African and Caribbean audiences. With a target audience that had seemingly been overlooked, Udala has set itself apart as a new platform offering more – wider outreach, exclusive content and home grown productions for their audiences across the Afro-Caribbean world. The African/Caribbean entertainment landscape has been changing drastically and continues to evolve at a rapid speed.
Written by Mpona Lebajoa.
Read the full article in the September 2014 edition of Nolly Silver Screen magazine here.
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