This weekend, Nigerian sonic architect Pheelz will step into the global spotlight as the featured guest on African Voices Changemakers, the flagship magazine programme of CNN International.
The 30-minute special, sponsored by telecommunications powerhouse Globacom, premieres Saturday, February 21, 2026.
In a searching, unfiltered conversation, host Larry Madowo sits across from the producer-turned-performer to explore the triad that defines his journey: faith, fame, and the fierce creative discipline that has helped propel Afrobeats from Lagos streets to global arenas.
At 31, Pheelz’s story reads like a modern psalm. He began as a multi-instrumentalist in church—where harmony was not merely musical but spiritual. Those early pew-side rehearsals became the crucible of his craft. His breakout arrived in 2012 when he produced chart-topping records for Olamide, including “First of All” and “Fucking with the Devil.” The industry took notice. By 2013, he was named among NotJustOk’s “Top 10 Hottest Producers in Nigeria,” signaling the rise of a new sound shaper in the Afrobeats firmament.
His near-total production of Olamide’s album Baddest Guy Ever Liveth earned him nominations at The Headies and further recognition at the 2014 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. In 2020, he captured Producer of the Year at The Headies, affirming his place among the elite architects of contemporary African sound. A year later, his collaboration “Finesse” with Bnxn became a cultural refrain, winning Best Collaboration at the Soundcity MVP Awards and echoing across continents like a joyful incantation.
On African Voices Changemakers, Pheelz reflects on the experiences that shaped both his soundscape and his soul. He speaks thoughtfully about artistic evolution in an era increasingly influenced by Artificial Intelligence, weighing innovation against authenticity. For him, music is not algorithm alone; it is memory, movement, and meaning a living archive of culture carried on rhythm.
The programme airs at 8:30 a.m. West African Time on DStv Channel 401 on Saturday, with additional broadcasts at 12:00 noon the same day; Sunday at 4:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Monday at 4:00 a.m. and 6:45 p.m.; and Tuesday at 6:45 p.m.
The broadcast schedule continues through the following Monday.
In this luminous exchange, viewers will encounter more than a hitmaker. They will meet a craftsman of cadence—an artist who has turned rhythm into currency, melody into memory, and Afrobeats into a passport stamped by the world.