Dr. Oladele Ayorinde

Oladele Ayorinde Ph.D., a music scholar and cultural economist, is a Research Fellow of the African Open Institute. His research is situated at the intersections of music, sound, archival management/curatorial practice, African and African diasporic music studies, critical global Black studies, and the anthropological study of value and political economy. Oladele’s research explores the creative and artistic processes of music-making and, through music, understands complex social, political, and economic processes in contemporary Africa and the African diaspora. He has published in globally visible journals, including Ethnomusicology Forum, Jazz and Culture, South African Music Studies (SAMUS), Leeds African Studies Bulletin, and Musik & Ästhetik. His research is concerned with social transformation, the political economy of everyday life, social justice, equity, and diversity while also promoting public-facing/public sector work, music industry practices/knowledge, community outreach/advocacy, and empowerment of marginalized people. Oladele’s professional work cuts across the cultural and creative industries (CCIs), archives, and music in higher educational ecosystems in South Africa, Germany, the US, and Nigeria. His work in performance, recording, festivals, documentary, and educational organizations includes consultations for Cape Town Opera, Cape Town, South Africa, and the Music Society of Nigeria (MUSON) School of Music, Lagos, Nigeria. As the Grants Manager of Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation, Oladele is excited to work with the Àkójọpọ̀ team to advance the organization’s aims and objectives.