With the MTV Africa Music Awards only two weeks away, MTV Base hosted nominees, guests, colleagues and music lovers to a night of fun at the Road To MAMA concert which held yesterday at the Marquee, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.Hosted by MTV VJs, Ehiz and Stephanie, the event kicked off with a press conference with Senior Vice President, Viacom Africa, Alex Okosi, Senior Brand Manager, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, Adebola Williams and some of this year’s nominees including Phyno, Lil Kesh, Iyanya, Yemi Alade, Patoranking and Tanzanian singer, Diamond Platnumz.
While fielding questions from the media, Okosi stated that the core behind the MAMA awards was to bring attention to the pool of creative talents in Africa. He said, ‘In the ten years that we have been around, I think we have done a lot of great stuff. Our artistes are now known around the world and MTV Base is a catalyst to that. It’s why we have always had international collaborations with African artistes. Every single international artiste that has participated with MTV or MAMA awards whether Akon, Wyclef, Rick Ross, T- Pain has had to collaborate with African acts. That’s what we do, we don’t bring them here just to come and play, we put them on the same platform for the world to see them and see our artiste as well and that is what MAMA is really about’.
The nominees spoke passionately about their career aspirations and their expectations at the awards come July 18, in Durban, South Africa. An excited Yemi Alade expressed appreciation to the organisers of the nomination saying, ‘For me, being a nominee is as good as winning the category and I am very grateful for the opportunity’. The conference later snowballed into a party with exciting performances from some of Nigeria’s biggest music acts like Iyanya, Phyno, Yemi Alade, Korede Bello, Reekado Banks, Phyno, Lil Kesh. Guests also enjoyed a surprise performance from MI who joined Patoranking on stage to perform their hit track, ‘Enemies’.
On ground to heighten the fun with exciting mixes were legendary DJ Jimmy JATT, DJ Xclusive, DJ Caise and MAVIN Records DJ Big N with top celebrities including Tanzanian artiste, Vanessa MDee, Cobhams, Sound Sultan, Timi Dakolo, D’banj, Jesse Jagz, Falz The BahdGuy, BlackMagic, OC Ukeje, among many others in attendance.
Other guests present were Mr Nigeria Emmanuel Ikubese, Olisa Adibua, Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, Jimmie, Shina Peller, Steve and Yetunde Babaeko, Chris Ubosi, Fade, Yvonne Vixen Ekwere among many others.
The Road To MAMA concert is a series of party held at different cities across the continent in the build up to the MAMA awards holding in Durban, South Africa on Saturday, July 18, 2015. It features contemporary artists and music making waves across the continent. Previous editions have visited Durban, South Africa and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Meanwhile, voting for the nominees continues via the website, www.mtvbase.com. The MTV Africa Music Awards will premiere live across Africa on Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 20:00 WAT/21:00 CAT on MTV Base (DStv Channel 322) and MTV (DStv Channel 130), and subsequently broadcast around the world to half a billion music fans worldwide on MTV and affiliate channels.
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