By Bahle Gama
Senegalese music legend Youssou N’dour has urged African stars to come together to collectively amplify the heritage of African Music.
According to a statement by APO Group on behalf of AFRIMA, this was in connection to the 8th edition of the All-Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) scheduled for Dakar, Senegal on January 12 to 15.
AFRIMA, which is the pinnacle of recognition for African music globally, is an annual four-day festival, broadcasted in over 84 countries across the world, with an even more expansive reach following its recent YouTube partnership.
This year’s event will be aired on 104 TV stations in over 84 countries globally. Whilst lauding AFRIMA for hosting the event in his home country, N’dour encouraged his counterparts in Africa and in the diaspora to come together to celebrate Africa at the event which is reported to have a 15 000 holding capacity.
The Senegalese singer and former Tourism Minister also expressed his delight in seeing Indigenous music like the Mbalakh of the Senegalese being spotlighted globally on the AFRIMA platform.
“All Africa Music Awards is the most prestigious ceremony dedicated to music and African artists and its diaspora. All the most beautiful aspects of Senegalese and African culture will be in the news for at least four days. I, therefore, invite all Senéglais musicians to come and celebrate African music together,” N’dour said.
Commenting on this, AFRIMA’s Executive Producer/President, Mike Dada, said that he is happy to see indigenous African music, such as the Mbalakh being celebrated globally, adding that it is a step in the right direction towards boosting Africa’s global image and creative economy.
Speaking on the development, the Head of, the Culture Division at the African Union Commission (AUC), Angela Martins said it was important that they spread their efforts to promote inclusivity and ensure that the world can see the impact of AFRIMA on the global stage.
“African music is ours and it is up to us to preserve our heritage and share our art with the world,” said Martins.
She further encouraged African music lovers to keep voting intensively for their desired winners using the voting portal live at www.AFRIMA.org and further take part in the events on all social media platforms.
“The voting process that determines winners at AFRIMA is audited by a globally renowned auditing firm,” she said.
According to the statement, delegates are expected to arrive on January 11 and the ceremony to kickstart fully the following day with a host country tour, school visit, and gift presentations as part of AFRIMA’s corporate social responsibility as well as a welcoming soiree in the evening.
The four-day event will continue Friday, January 13, with the Africa Music Business Summit (AMBS) at the Grand Theatre, in Dakar. The AMBS is Africa’s largest gathering of creative professionals in the music industry, and it features workshops and panel discussions on issues and opportunities within the African music industry.
The AFRIMA will continue with high momentum at the AFRIMA Music Village at the Grand Theatre, which will be a free-to-enter concert featuring live performances from the biggest music stars across the continent.
On the eve of the awards ceremony, on Saturday, January 14, the events will begin with Main rehearsals, Media engagements, and a Courtesy Visit to the President of Senegal. There will also be a live recording booth at the venue for musicians across all five regions of the continent, and in the diaspora, to explore collaborative recordings. The day’s activities will climax with a Nominees exclusive party.
Senegalese music legend calls for amplification of African Music
