Manager Spotlight offers a small insight into the heads of incredible managers. This week in the spotlight is Cheyenne Walker.

How long have you worked in Management? 

I have been managing for 3 years now.

Who do you manage now?

I started managing Safiyyah in 2019 and muva of Earth in 2020.

Where did you find your first client and what inspired you to take them on?

I met Safiyyah in secondary school and knew she was an amazing singer, from her singing in our lunch breaks always. However it wasn’t till I was in my first year in university studying music business that we started working together. I really wanted to start managing artists but was nervous and Safiyyah felt the same about starting her music career. So we both put our trust into each other to see where things would go and so far things are going really well.

What’s a good/bad day at work look like for you? 

A good day at work for me is attending music sessions with my artists and witnessing great music getting created. A bad day at work for me is having invested time into a campaign or performance to only be canceled due to covid. However the chances of this happening again are hopefully slim.

What has been the highlight of your management career to date?

Safiyyahs debut EP making it onto Jamz Supernova’s top 5 EP list and Safiyyahs most recent single Free ft Rada produced by Solaariss placing on New Music Fridays playlist. Another great highlight for me was starting working with muva of Earth, I remember shooting one day in a Oxleas Wood in the cold rainy weather with an all female team. It felt so empowering to be working through tough weather conditions and everyone still be so dedicated and resilient.

What do you think are the big challenges for a manager in 2021?

I would say the big challenges managers face in 2021 with female rosters is trying to secure festival opportunities. Wireless Festival’s line up is a great example of how male dominated the music industry is, not only for artists but also on the business side. There needs to be more opportunities for female artists.

What music are you currently listening to?

I have been loving, Bina, Nikhil Beats, Dan kye, Sio an amazing artist from Johannesburg, Hiatus Kaiyote and Bellah. Feel free to check out my curated playlists for sweet-than zine on Spotify.