It was loud. It was colorful. It was .

: A wild July festival in Makunduchi marking the Shirazi New Year with ritual banana stick fights and public singing to "clear the slate" for the coming year. The Business of Entertainment 2013 was also the "Year of Endorsements" for African celebrities. Okayafrica's Top 10 Music Videos of 2013

Their first stop was a recording studio in Surulere. Inside, a young producer sat behind a laptop running FL Studio, bobbing his head to a beat that blended Afrobeats with hip-hop.

The video below showcases some of the most popular African films of 2013, featuring interviews with filmmakers and actors.

XNXX was frequently the leading adult site in markets such as Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa. Engagement:

2013 was a triumphant year for Afro-pop, with several singles achieving massive reach across the continent and its diaspora: : Hits like "Personally" by , "Skelewu" by , and "Khona" by Mafikizolo dominated airwaves and YouTube playlists. Rising Stars : Artists like (with "Yawa Dey" ), , and Tiwa Savage (featuring

Use high-contrast urban shots (Luanda's skyline vs. Lagos markets).

YouTube reaction videos to Big Brother Africa in 2013 were the precursor to modern podcasting. Fans would film themselves screaming at the TV, analyzing "the game," and discussing the glamour of the eviction night outfits.

: There was a loud, collective call from industry leaders to end the era of "cheap imported soaps" (Mexican and South American telenovelas) in favor of high-quality local productions. Music and the Global "Afrobeats" Surge

: These music television networks acted as lifestyle curators, broadcasting daily countdowns, celebrity home tours, and style guides that standardized urban youth culture across sub-Saharan Africa. The Legacy of 2013’s Video Boom

"The world will tell our story for us if we don't tell it ourselves." — Tunde Adeyemi, 2013

: 2013 was the year of monster hits like Davido’s "Skelewu," Wizkid’s "Caro," and P-Square’s "Personally" (a tribute to Michael Jackson that garnered tens of millions of views on YouTube).