Nigerians sweep MAMA (MTV Africa Music Award)

Source: BBC

Nigerian artists dominated the MTV Africa Music Awards (the Mamas) on their own turf in the capital city Abuja, scooping six of the 10 awards.

D'banj won both the artist of the year award and the best male award, crowning a successful year for the self-proclaimed "entertainer".

Fellow Nigerian rapper Naeto C won best new act, while 9ice won the best Hip-hop award.

Kenyan singer Wahu, who was overcome with emotion, was named best female.

She tearfully dedicated the award to her husband, fellow musician Nameless, and to her daughter who, she said, "is to young to understand how much she inspires me".

Fusion
BBC 1Xtra's Trevor Nelson hosted the show in front of a crowd of 5,000 fans in the stylishly shaped Abuja Velodrome.

The Game performed at the ceremony

Nigerian duo P-Square, who had five nominations, only managed to take home one prize for best group.

Despite not winning, the disappointed twin brothers thrilled the crowd with their stage act.

South Africa hip-hoppers Jozi won the award for the best live performers.

However, Ghanaian artist Samini revealed he was not happy the live award had gone to a "group that plays CDs and mimes".

He added: "If you say 'live' then the music has to be with a band.

"I'm not picking names but I think that the best live performer should go to a live band artist.

"I'm sorry if I'm being harsh here but I'm trying to be straightforward. If I watch you on TV and I see you with a live band, then you better do it on stage for me."

There was a cameo appearance by US rapper The Game, who gave a brief medley of his hit songs.

There were also performances by the rapper's compatriots Flo-rida, and Kelly Rowland.

Other live acts included Seun Kuti, 9ice, as well as HHP from South Africa, but it was the assortment collaborations that stole the show.

HHP came back on stage to join Nigerian singing sensation Asa on her song Jailer, and Rowland performed alongside D'banj.

But the biggest fusion was that of South African rockers Cassette, Kenyan rapper Jua Cali, and Ikechukwu and Naeto C.

American R&B singer Alicia Keys gave a video acceptance speech for winning the best R&B award, as did South African band Seether, who won the best alternative award.

Mama Africa

The legend gong went to the late Fela Kuti, the Nigerian pioneer of Afrobeat. The award was received by the star's children, Yemi and Seun.

Kelly and Nigerian artist D'banj performed together

Speaking of Kuti, Nelson said: "He was the first man I ever heard, all the way from the UK, when I heard African music for the first time it came from this man.

"There could only be one person, only one recipient."

Kuti's children joked in their acceptance speech that they would "not take this award to him yet".

"We'll keep it in our house, and when the times comes then we'll take it to him."

Out of the 11 awards given out on the night the legend award was the only one that was not chosen by the fans.

Winners were selected by fans sending text messages.

There was also a tribute to "Mama Africa" Miriam Makeba, the South African singer who died just over a week ago.

Winners each received a Golden Microphone trophy, which has a futuristic microphone emerging from a globe of the world, with the African continent symbolically placed at the top of the world.

Even though this was an African event there were some non-African artists nominated in different categories, including Lil Wayne, The Game, Coldplay, and Keys.

African music videos were also recognized, with Nigeria's Ikechuku winning the award for the best video for his song Wind am well.

Congrats to everyone who got an awards....especially to my Naija artistes.

Gongo Aso - 9ice's Stepping Stone

Speakers on the streets seem to burst from the sound of the ‘signature beats’ and the husky voice with so much appeal…

Some wonder if the beat and the voice are Siamese Twins… So inseparable it seems no other voice could go with such beats and no other beats would’ve been good for such a voice…

From every perspective, ‘Gongo Aso’ is a product of simple but complicated blend of rhythm and lyrical expertise with a mind infested with cultural identification that it appears to harbour the fear of one day being robbed of it. Much as its popularity goes, the uniqueness of the song lies in its ability to mask the simple lyrics with a measured amalgam of Yoruba Language which vested on it the buoyancy from the attributes of a ‘national anthem’, as its contemporaries turned out to be.

The cultural identity portrayed by 9ice in ‘Gongo Aso’ is not unexpected of a typical Yoruba man whose tenacious hold on culture is unrivalled amongst other ethnic nationalities in Nigeria. To say that ‘Gongo Aso’ is the only song whose unique nature is rooted in this aspect is to be the least exaggerating. Hit songs who, in one way or the other, exude even an iota of the Nigerian cultures abound in music stores. Same goes for artistes who are grounded in this ideology. However, what singles out this Ibadan-born crooner is nothing more than the masterful rendition accorded every line and rhyme his voice honours.

Two years ago, he was just another Naija guy on the streets. But now, 9ice has become a household name made popular by the unprecedented success with the hit song, ‘Gongo Aso’. One would want to ascribe 9ice’s spectacular entrance in the Naija music scene to his appearance in ‘Ruggedy Baba’ – by Ruggedman, a Naija rap sensation famous for his hardcore critique of fellow rapstas. With his second album "Gongo Aso", 9ice has carved a niche for himself in the Nigerian music industry whose nascent nature makes it a bee-hive of competition.

As the song enjoys maximum airplay and profound listening, criticisms and admirations continuously flow. Though the latter far more outweigh the former, it would make sense to evaluate the remarks of the critics. It has been argued that the theme of the song could not be easily fathomed by even prolonged listening. Could it be 9ice wanted conveniently to ‘show’ himself in the song, or more or less market his lyrical prowess as shown in the opening line of verse one: “Gongo Aso!, (you know), am on fire, no be beans talk…”?. The argument follows that, as a consequence, no moral lesson can be deduced from a song whose message is elusive other than a portrayal of personal skills. One is then tempted to classify it amongst songs like ‘Yahoozee’- by Olu Maintain and ‘2 Much Money’ by Kelly Hansome. These classes of songs have been criticized for being devoid of tangible messages other than advertising/showcasing Nigeria’s expertise in precisely cyber-related fraud. But, come to think of it, wouldn’t it be kind of cynical judging a song only based on ethics and morality when doing so would amount to condemning the whole by sampling just the part? Nonetheless, these aforementioned hit songs have enjoyed #1 spots for weeks in national music charts and some global countdowns. More so, they have and are still being considered classic party jamz by the average club-minded Naija citizen.

As 9ice continues to blaze the trail in the Naija music scene, calls for him to honour most of the elite ‘shows’ in the country and beyond have become unceasing of recent. It is worthy to note here that Naija can no longer wait to explode into the international music scene. It’s nice (Abi ‘9ice’?) to learn that most of these artistes making waves are proud to repp Naija to the fullest, wherever and whenever! A lesson to our artistes who think that to sound western in their lyrics would guarantee them a place in Naija musician’s hall of fame. Far from it! Nowadays, ‘We Doin’ it in Our Own Stylee’ as 2 Baba (TuFace Idibia) and friends would rightly point out. Peace, Folks! Naija is hottin’, O nwelu ife na-eme! (Nothin’ dey happen!).

9ice » Gongo Aso

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