Entertainment
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Beninese multi award winning singer and songwriter, Angelique Kidjo, is happy to receive AFRIMA Award
ANGELIQUE Kidjo, Beninese multi award winning singer and songwriter, is specially pleased to be honoured by the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, which recognised her with rewards for music excellence. The Savoy Records star artiste made this declaration recently in Cotonou, the capital of Republic Du Benin, during a ceremony where she was presented with two trophies for Best Female Artiste West Africa and Best African Contemporary awarded at the 2014 AFRIMA, which held on Saturday, December 27, in Lagos, Nigeria.
The AFRIMA trophies were presented to the legendary African singer by Jean-Michel Abimbola, minister of Culture and Tourism, Republic du Benin, while Richmir Totah, AFRIMA Country Director, Republic du Benin, represented the International Committee of AFRIMA at the event witnessed by Angelique Kidjo’s family members and held in the ministry of culture, Republic du Benin.
Clutching her trophies with delight, Kidjo, whose ever evolving legacy as a music force on Africa has also earned her two Grammy Awards, the latest won at the 2015 Grammy held on Sunday, February 8, said: “I have received a lot of awards and trophies in my career, but I am honoured and proud when it comes from my fellow Africans who recognise my merits and award me this prestigious trophies. Thank you to AFRIMA”.
Music pundits around the world have hailed Angelique Kidjo’s 2014 release, the 13-track album ‘Eve’ for which she won the AFRIMA trophies and 2015 Grammy Award as a career defining work for its ‘melodically rich and rhythmically powerful expressions of female empowerment’. The choice of ‘Eve’ and ‘Shango Wa’, a track off the album, by the AFRIMA jury and Academy of Voters for nominations in their respective categories and eventual winners as decided by the voting public and the AFRIMA Academy of Voters attests to the excellent and transparent artistic criteria and standards for assessing musical works that are part of the AFRIMA adjudication process.
In a recorded speech relayed at the AFRIMA main awards ceremony in Lagos, Angelique expressed regret for missing the awards ceremony due to her then on-going tour. Meanwhile, Jean-Michel Abimbola has pledged his government’s support for AFRIMA at subsequent editions of the awards project organised in partnership with the African Union Commission.
More than 30 award trophies were presented during the 2014 All Africa Music Awards ceremony with Davido (Nigeria) carting home the highest number of trophies, four. Other winners include Ahmed Soultan (Morocco), Cindy Munyavi (Zimbabwe), Fally Ipupa (DR Congo), Wiyaala (Ghana) and Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania) among others. The award was hosted by Nigeria’s international music star, 2Face Idibia and co-hosted by Maryse Acotie, bilingual radio and TV personality from Togo, and sponsored by Diamond Bank PLC, Peugeot and P&G among others.
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Tags: 2014 All Africa Music Awards 2face Idibia African Union Commission AFRIMA Award Ahmed Soultan All Africa Music Awards Angelique Kidjo Best African Contemporary Best Female Artiste West Africa Cindy Munyavi Davido Diamond Bank PLC Diamond Platinumz Fally Ipupa Grammy Awards International Committee Jean-Michel Abimbola Maryse Acotie P&G Peugeot Richmir Totah singer songwriter Wiyaala
