What exactly is the barometer to measure the genuine, not hyped success of an award show? If it includes attendance by a considerable number of awardees and nominees, the jurors, the industry’s internal and external public, friends, the credibility of assessors’ verdicts plus a smooth flow of programme without security hitches here and there, then All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), which held last Sunday recorded a robust success with huge impact on the industry as well as the continent.
How else would you describe a Pan-African award ceremony which seamlessly attracted some of the continent’s finest: Stonebwoy from Ghana, Diamond Platnumz from Tanzania, Charlotte Dipanda, Adekunle Gold and Kiss Daniel from Nigeria, Casper Nyovest from South Africa, Wlyaala from Ghana, Venessa Mdee and Davido among others whose presence glowingly coloured the magnificent ball? Nigeria played a fantastic host- after sailing through the water-tight security; you’re ushered into a session of shimmering lights from the cameras of journalists who wanted to get the best coverage and possibly most exclusive interviews at the rare soiree.
Resplendent in South-African warrior’s garb were the broad-shouldered men who manned the entry and exit of the grand ball room. Words wouldn’t describe their finesse enough neither will there be any sufficient innuendos to capture the manner in which the usherettes conducted themselves.
The panorama of African village which formed the alluring theme of the stage made hearts flutter. Understandably so, AFRIMA’s glitzy outing topped the discussions on twitter and other social media across the continent for several hours. And that was where to also gauge the approval or otherwise of the jurors’ verdicts.
But no significant petition came online throughout the period we monitored. However, the avoidable absence of a few greats from the host country, which include Mavin Records’ Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Korede Bello, Dija, Dr. Sid, and Rekado Banks, stirred a mild controversy.
There is what we had control over and there were others we had no control over. The Nigerian nominees attended except for one or two who were outside the country and couldn’t make it. “The kind of award we do is such that I don’t even know the winner, the producer knows the winner 21 hours before the show starts so that we can key in the music of the winner into the deck. All of the nominees from Nigeria came except Yemi Alade who was out of the country, Olamide closed the show.
Darey was there, Praiz was there and a host of others who didn’t win. “Accommodation was provided for both the winners and nominees from across Africa including Nigerian acts. Excluding the crew members and African Union executives, 82 artistes were flown in from around the continent. Over 200 artistes from the continent graced AFRIMA 2015 and its partnership with AU distinguished it from its predecessor, KORA awards.”
It was expected that Dada’s clout as one who had a dalliance with the mainstream entertainment circle (having worked closely with the Performing Musician Association of Nigeria (PMAN) would attract even the veterans and several other agencies like Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) and the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC). Dada perhaps didn’t know that the song, ‘Bobo’ with which Olamide won was banned by the NBC- whether the sanction made sense or not is a matter for another day.
Some of us can bet with the last inherited plots of land from our fathers that most of the music stars that boycotted AFRIMA under any guise will surface at the Headies Awards billed to hold in December. Nonetheless, we will not be quick to forget that apart from the grandeur of strolling home with 23.9 karat gold-plated trophies by the winners, another high point of the highly eventful evening was the rare presence of the All Progressive Congress (APC) chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who received the award of Pillar of Culture in Africa amidst a standing ovation while the chanting of his moniker, Jagaban, rented the air.
