Entertainment
AFRIMA Organisers Receive 2,558 Entries …As Nigeria Tops List
Olamide
The International Commit
tee for the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) said in Lagos last Thursday that it had received 2, 558 entries for the 2015 edition.
According to the organisers, the entries by African artistes were received on the AFRIMA website and social media platforms as well as from record companies and entertainment journalists.
Also submitted were works from artistes in the Diaspora.
All the works to be considered must have been produced between May 31, 2014 and July 31, 2015 according to the stipulated guidelines by the academy of the jury of AFRIMA.
Mr Steve Ayorinde, Chairman, International Media Committee of AFRIMA, said the development had shown the importance that had now been attached to the programme.
“The international committee is excited about the quality of entries received this year as many are from accomplished artistes in African music.
“The impressive number of entries received is a reflection of growth and acceptability of the vision and ideals of AFRIMA’s commitment to communicate Africa to the rest of the world via art, music, tourism and entertainment.’’
Ayorinde said the entries received this year were progressively higher than the 2,025 entries received for the 2014 edition.
Out of the entries received this year, 73 were from music and entertainment journalists across Africa, while entries were from artistes, songwriters, video directors, music producers and record companies made up the rest.
As part of the adjudication process which will last for seven days, the submitted works will be screened by a 13-man jury panel, representing the five regions of Africa and the Diaspora.
There will be representatives from Kenya, Senegal, Republic of Benin, Uganda, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Egypt,
Equatorial Guinea, and Cameroon, the U.K. and U.S. as well as a representative from the African Union.
Following the adjudication process, a nomination list will be released to the public on a later date in August 2015, to vote for a nominee in each of the 33 categories of the award.
The founder of the awards, Mr Mike Dada, also revealed that this year’s event would hold on November 15 in Nigeria.
He added that it would be preceded by the AFRIMA Music Village, a two-day event of music festivities featuring national pavilions, cultural/entertainment exhibitions and music concerts between November 13 and November14.
There will also be an Africa Music Summit on November 13 with the theme “Reviving the Business of Music in Africa’’.
Our Entertainment Desk reports that this is the second edition of AFRIMA.
This year’s edition of the awards is in partnership with African Union Commission (AUC), ONE Campaign and Africa 2.0.
Meanwhile, Nigerian artistes topped the list of the 2nd edition of the African Muzik Magazine Awards (AFRIMMA) scheduled for Dallas in October.
According to statement from the organisers the Award, which would hold at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters was to celebrate the beauty of African music and artistry.
The statement noted that “the show will honour some of Africa’s top music artistes, producers and cultural influencers.’’
It stated that the Best Male West Africa category had the highest number of Nigerian nominees, including Davido, Wizkid, Flavour and Olamide.
AFRIMMA, also the Crossing Boundaries With Music Award, had the highest number of Nigerians, including Wale, Nneka, Asa, Jidenna and Tinnie Tempah.
Nigeria’s P-square was also nominated for the Best African Group.
Also, the Best Newcomer category was topped by Nigerian artistes Kiss Daniel, Korede Bello and Lil Kesh.
The Best Collaboration category was flooding with nominee collaborations with various Nigerian artistes such as Kcee, J Martins, Burna Boy, among others.
Similarly, Nigeria’s DJ Jimmy Jatt and DJ Exclusive were nominated for the Best DJ Africa award.
For the AFRIMMA Video of the Year, Ojuelegba by Wizkid, Golibe by Flavour and My Darling by Tiwa Savage were nominated.
Mavin Records CEO, Don Jazzy, was nominated for the Music Producer of the Year, alongside Shizzi.
Spotify yesterday revealed a significant surge in heartbreak song streams in Nigeria during the Valentine’s Day season, with a 626 percent increase between 2022 and 2024.
This was disclosed in a statement issued in Lagos, Nigeria by Spotify’s Head of Music, Sub-Saharan Africa Phiona Okumu.
Okumu said, “Spotify data reveals a surprising trend, a massive surge in heartbreak song streams.
“Nigerians are turning to their playlists to express their emotions, with a staggering 626 per cent overall growth in heartbreak streams from 2022 to 2024.
“This Valentine, the sound of love is accompanied by the sound of heartbreak, and the data shows it’s louder than ever before.”
She said on Valentine’s Day, most surprisingly, male listeners streamed heartbreak songs at a significantly higher rate than female listeners, with a 362 per cent increase compared to 169 per cent among women.
“This could suggest that men resonate with the feeling of heartbreak more and turn to music as a private outlet for processing emotions.
“Whatever the reason, one thing is clear, when love is in the air, so is heartbreak and Nigerian men are pressing play on their pain more than expected.
“While Valentine’s Day is often celebrated with grand gestures, heartbreak is a common theme on Valentine’s Day -more than what’s publicly shown,” she said.
Nigerians will join their counterparts across the world to mark the 2025 Valentine’s today.
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has joined MLS side San Diego FC’s ownership group as a club partner.
SDFC announced today that Tems joined the ownership group through her company, The Leading Vibe.
In the process, Tems became the first African woman to be involved in MLS ownership.
“We are delighted that Tems has joined San Diego FC as a club partner,” SDFC chairman Sir Mohamed Mansour said in a statement.
“Tems is a globally significant artist who will help us reach new audiences and spread the word about our unique project, which, of course, has its foundations in sub-Saharan Africa through the unique Right to Dream organisation.”
Reacting to her addition as the latest partner in SDFC’s ownership group, the singer said: “I am thrilled to join San Diego FC’s ownership group and to be part of a club that celebrates creativity, culture, and the power of community.
“Football has a unique way of bringing people together, and I am excited to help build something special in San Diego, a city that thrives on diversity and innovation.”
Fashion and beauty entrepreneur, Toyin Lawani, has claimed she is enduring back pain and that her spine is degenerating.
Lawani revealed this in a video posted on social media last Tuesday.
In the clip, she opened up about her experience with epidural anesthesia, an injection administered to pregnant women in the spine to reduce pain during childbirth.
The mother of three claimed that since receiving the injection, she has not felt like herself.
She accused doctors of not fully informing women about the long-term side effects of epidurals.
According to Lawani, she received the anesthetic injection during the birth of her last two children.
She said, “When you hear ‘epidural,’ run. Doctors tell you about the side effects but do not tell you about the long-term effects on your body. I have about three friends having the same issues that I am having.
“Like, I am just 42, how did I end up with spine issues? I have a degenerating spine. I have implants in my spine. I go paralyzed. I can’t stand for a long time. I can’t even breathe properly sometimes because it affected so many things in my body when I had the surgery.
“They will not tell you because you just want the pain to go away. I have had two epidurals. I had my first as natural birth. The last two were epidural. The last one I had epidural because I had to undergo a surgery and I had no choice.
“See, the pain does not stop. My back is killing me and my spine is degenerating.”