Soulection at 15: A Global Sound System in London

Fifteen years after its beginnings, Soulection’s influence stretches far beyond any single city, genre or scene. Its 15th anniversary celebration in London was a fitting reflection of that reach, bringing together artists and sounds from across the world at Magazine Open-Air London in Greenwich for a night built around one simple idea: music connects us.

From Brazil to Nigeria, the UK to the US, the celebration moved effortlessly between genres and generations, while retaining the distinctive sense of community that has defined Soulection since its inception.

The celebration got underway with a DJ set from Karen Nyame KG, setting the tone before the evening moved through a broad spectrum of global sounds and live performances. 

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Representing Brazil, Shaka Lion brought the sounds of his home country to the stage, reinforcing the international spirit of the night. That sense of global connection continued with Qendresa, who shared a particularly personal relationship with Soulection. She revealed that she had attended a Soulection show back in 2016, making her return a decade later, this time as a performer, an especially meaningful full-circle moment.

Her set captured that journey. Closing with ‘2 Much’ before transitioning into her new reggaeton track ‘Besitos’, Qendresa demonstrated how Soulection’s world can accommodate both familiar favourites and new directions without losing its identity.

Sango added another moment for the music heads, closing his set with an unreleased Kaytranada track, giving the audience something they could only experience in that room. 

The night continued to move across musical boundaries. Sasha Keable opened her set with ‘Ceiling Fan’ before closing with ‘Why?’. Then came a reminder of the catalogue that helped build the platform in the first place. Wayne Wonder brought a different energy to the stage, carrying the familiarity of Soulection’s history, while the night’s newer sounds showed that the platform continues to evolve.

Wayne Wonder was finally joined by his son Gus. The pair danced together, and for the crowd seeing the pair share the moment together added another layer of generational connection to a night already centred around music crossing borders and generations. 

UK grime was represented by D Double E, before DJ Tunez shifted the focus towards Nigeria and Afrobeats.

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DJ Tunez’s set became another example of Soulection’s ability to bring different worlds together, bringing out JayO before Juls and Projexx joined the celebration with Tay Iwar.

One of the night’s more unexpected moments came from Leon Thomas, whose appearance brought a dose of nostalgia. He came out to the theme song from Victorious, the Nickelodeon series in which he starred alongside Ariana Grande.

There was something almost perfectly coincidental about the timing. While Thomas was performing the song that connected him to Victorious, his former castmate Ariana Grande was performing on tour at the O2, just next door in Greenwich. Two artists who shared an early chapter of their careers were now occupying different stages in the same part of London on the same night.

It was another fitting example of what the evening represented: music creating connections between people, places and different moments in time.

That idea extended beyond the performers themselves. Joe Kay performed the closing set and was supported by Odeal. Whilst familiar faces from the UK music and creative scene were also spotted showing their support. These faces included Mahalia, Nippa, Tamera, kwn and Dean M.F. Johnson (Aprtment Life).

But perhaps the most fitting aspect of the night was that there was never a sense that these sounds needed to be forced together. Brazilian music could sit alongside Afrobeats. Reggaeton could follow R&B. Grime could exist alongside electronic and alternative sounds. Artists from different generations could share the same stage without the night feeling fragmented.

That has always been part of Soulection’s appeal. What began as a platform for discovering forward-thinking sounds has grown into a global community, connecting artists and listeners who may otherwise never have crossed paths.

Fifteen years on, the celebration at Magazine Open-Air London felt less like a look back at what Soulection has achieved and more like a demonstration of how far its sound has travelled.

From Brazil to Nigeria, London to the US, from artists who grew up with Soulection to those now contributing to its next chapter, the night showed that the platform’s greatest achievement may simply be its ability to make the world feel a little smaller through music.