Nigerian Music Growth Power Our Vision, Says Yajna

Swedish artist and entrepreneur, Yajna Aurora Panes, popularly known as Yajna, has stated that youth empowerment and the rapid growth of Nigerian music are important to her artistic goals

Yajna, who is the founder and CEO of Africa Rising TV and Rising Phoenix Music Group, noted that her platforms were established to give a potent voice to African talent and deepen partnership between African creatives and international markets.

According to her, Africa Rising TV serves as a digital streaming hub showcasing music, film, sports, documentaries and talk shows, with a deliberate focus on projecting African storytelling to global audiences. Through Rising Phoenix Music Group, she provides creative development, production and distribution support to emerging artists.

Dovetailing on her engagement with Nigeria’s creative industry, Yajna described the country as a major force in the global music conversation. She noted that the continued expansion of Afrobeats and contemporary African sounds has created new opportunities for young talents across the continent.

In 2024, she made a performance at the Global Entrepreneurship Festival in Akure, Ondo State, where she also addressed participants at the Women Congress session. She returned to Nigeria in September 2025 as a board member of the festival’s delegation during the GEF Business Mixer in Lagos, further deepening her involvement in the country’s entrepreneurial and creative ecosystem.

Beyond her executive roles, Yajna maintains an active music career, blending soul and R&B influences with African-inspired sounds. She has undertaken recording projects in Lagos and has indicated interest in collaborating with Nigerian artists and producers. Her music, she said, centres on themes of empowerment, healing and self-expression.

She is also involved in film production. She produced the documentary WOMAN, currently available on Amazon Prime Video, and is developing another documentary project reflecting on her personal life journey and recovery from clinical depression.

Emphasising the importance of resilience and mentorship, Yajna stated that supporting young creatives and advocating for women’s empowerment and mental health awareness remain key pillars of her work.

Through her music, media platforms and advocacy initiatives, she said she hopes to contribute to the sustained global recognition of Nigerian and African creative talent while inspiring the next generation of artists and entrepreneurs.