Banky W, Fally Ipupa, Teargas and Daddy Owen are to perform live at the upcoming MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) with Zain (acquired by Bharti Airtel in 2010). The Awards take place on Saturday, 11 December at the Eko EXPO Hall, Lagos, Nigeria.
Says Alex Okosi, Senior Vice President & Managing Director, MTV Networks Africa: “These four stars are all thrilling performers that epitomise the awesome spirit and passion of contemporary African musicians. Their involvement in this year’s awards is sure to guarantee that 2010 will be the most creatively inspiring and exciting MAMA event so far.’
Chief Marketing Officer of Airtel Africa Andre Beyers adds: “Music in all its genres or origins strikes a chord with our continent as it provides a platform to express ourselves at each turn in our daily lives. The choice of the performers at the 2010 edition shows an excellent choice of musicians with a wide appeal on the continent.”
Known for its awe-inspiring staging, exhilarating music and gripping musical collaborations, the MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain was created in 2008 to recognise and reward Africa’s finest contemporary musicians. Nominees will be announced in November.
The MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain is open to all soloists or groups who have received airplay on MTV base or MTV during the qualifying period (30 June 2009 to 31 August 2010) including artists from: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comores, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain is open to all soloists or groups who have received airplay on MTV base or MTV during the qualifying period (30 June 2009 to 31 August 2010) including artists from: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central Africa Republic, Chad, Comores, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, St Helena, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Smooth R&B artist Banky W is the first Nigerian artist booked to perform at this year’s show, while South African outfit Teargas will be representing the best of South African Hip Hop on their MAMA debut. Kenya’s Daddy Owen will make his mark as the first ever Gospel singer to perform at the MAMA Awards, showcasing the unique Gospel vibe that’s successfully made the cross-over into the mainstream music consciousness. Congolese star Fally Ipupa makes his second appearance at MAMA, after his exciting collaboration with Mozambique’s Lizha James and Uganda’s Blu3 at MAMA 2009 in Kenya.
The “crown prince’ of African R&B, Banky W is the stage name of Olubankole Wellington, whose ultra-smooth voice, writing and production skills and uncanny showmanship and dance skills have catapulted him into the contemporary music spotlight.
Charismatic South African Hip Hop trio Teargas is made up of Ntokozo “K.O.’ Mdluli and two brothers: Ezee “Ma-E’ Hanabe and Bantu “Ntukza’ Hanabe. Five years after their critically-acclaimed debut album “K’shubile K’bovu’, Teargas is riding high on the success of their third album “Dark Or Blue’.
Bringing his uplifting, Gospel-fusion sound to MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain, Daddy Owen is the self-appointed creator of “Kapungala” – a jubilant mash-up of Gospel with Kenyan genres Kapuka and Lingala.
Fally Ipupa, nicknamed “Dicap La Merveille’ (DiCaprio the marvellous) by his Congolese fans, is riding high as one of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s most successful music exports.
