Get ready for the MAMA’s – MTV Africa!
Our dedicated scribe of the moment, Reuben ‘The Matrix’ Malema, attended the MTV press announcement of the ‘MAMA awards’, MTV’s pan-African music awards brought to you by MTV and their sponsor ZAIN (a telecommunications company…). He reckons healthy competition is the way forward to uplift and keep on diversifying and enriching our music scene, we have to admit, we agree! See our photostory at our RepresentFlickr set here. Read all about the event below – the official media release follows. Sharpile RTMM! It’s official, MTV Networks Africa is here! And if all the over-the-top hoo-hah of Tuesday night has any truth to it, then the end for the MTN SAMA Awards is definitely not nigh but rather in a very real way so resoundingly here. The setting of MTV’s “take-over-Africa” spectacle was the Japanese themed Tokyo Sky of Fourways, Johannesburg. Ja, the ambiguity was very clear: the guillotine’s blade has gut-gushingly fallen on the video-jockey controlled entertainment industry in this part of Africa! I have to admit though, with all the fine sushi, on the house liquor en masse (Double Remmie Martin and Lemonade…one more please sir!), the glitz and splendour that was blatantly flaunted, the Network has a lot of credibility and plenty to offer Africa’s musicians in sharp contrast to the MTN SAMA Awards that favours the same few artists all the time and only focuses on SA. Let us not forget the controversy-riddled quagmire of the recent MTN SAMAs which did not help the situation either, in fact if anything – this year’s SAMAs managed to quicken the event’s long awaited coup de grace. Competition is often a healthy thing and in this case it’s long overdue. The Media targeted event (Nou Ek Spog!) had the makings of a typical TRL show on MTV Base. The MC was as chirpy as all the free flowing video mouthpieces on the network’s channels. The program direction was lively with a twist of spring. The audience (le paparazzi!) was very receptive, although at one stage a tad disappointed (we’ll come back to this one…). Mr. Alex Okosi, a Nigerian born, American raised, British groomed and now South African Corporate Executive is the driving force behind MTV Africa’s no-holds-barred takeover bid. His passion and inspiring vibrancy is believable enough to prop-up one’s expectations of the fresh wave of reprieve that has at last beached on our shores. An array of Dj’s and musicians were bopping away, including Cleo, KB, boys from Skwatta Kamp and Brickz. One particular artist caught my attention, the 12 year old In-cha who is an ingenious (lest I be tempted to declare her a maestro) violinist....
Sadly, HHP didn’t win the MTV EMA
We’ve been trying to get information about the MTV EMA winners since the ‘live broadcast’ last night hoping that our man HHP scooped the honours he so deserves. We searched and scoured and this morning eventually came across ONE list that included the Best African winner announcement… Sad news guys, HHP didn’t scoop it – according to AceShowBiz D’Banj from Nigeria took it away. Congrats to D’Banj and Jabba – you know we love you and that you’re one of Africa’s finest treasures. We believe that you should have won. Keep on Keeping...
VOTE FOR HHP @Mtv NOW!
Come on everyone, get all the troops together, rally up the people and get clicking ‘cos we need to VOTE our very own HHP into winning the MTV Best African Act award next week. Four easy steps: Just click here: http://www.ema.mtvbase.com/ , then click VOTE NOW, then click on category 9 – Best African Act, then look for your favourite HipHop boy and click on HHP! Don’t miss the the nefarious Snoop Dogg as host – “Presenters in the past have been great, but this year I’m takin’ it to a whole new level. I’ve called up the homeys from east to west and I guarantee it’s gonna be off tha chain, ya dig.” – Snoop Dogg. We’re holding thumbs...
We’re proud of HHP Representin’ @ MTV!
We were honoured to be asked to submit our votes for the nominees for this year’s Best African Act at the MTV awards in Munich in November and are delighted to see HHP representin’ for SA as well as Samini from Ghana and D’banj from Nigeria…. Jua Cali and Chameleone are new artists to us, we’ll just have to check them out on YouTube. Represent wishes Jabba all the best and we’re holding thumbs that you take it away, you certainly deserve it HHP! We’re proud of you mfo’ and believe that you will scoop it. Hopefully just like the rugby, we’ll be leaving our winning mark all over Europe in the next few weeks. Congrats to all the African bands and all the best. Here’s the deal: The 14th annual MTV Europe Music Awards is gearing up for another spectacular event, which is happening in Munich’s OlympiaHalle on 1 November. The best 5 will be thrown to the public across Africa who will decide the eventual winner in Munich on November 1st. The category is Best African Act Nominees: * Hip Hop Pantsula – South Africa * Jua Cali – Kenya * Chameleone – Uganda * D’Banj – Nigeria * Samini – Ghana Biogs: HHP released his first album – ‘Introduction’ – in 2000: Over the course of five albums, he has crafted a singular sound that combines the power of hip-hop with the energy of Kwaito (South Africa’s urban youth genre that first make its appearance at the onset of the democratic era) and the pulse of traditional South African sounds. But it was HHP’s 2006 offering – ‘YBA 2 NW’ – that secured his standing as a premiere contemporary act when his songs ‘Jabba’ ‘wWalk On By’ ‘Thlabane to Maftown’ became a crossover hit, racking up airplay at a broad cross section of radio formats, from urban to adult contemporary and contemporary hit. The name ‘JUA CALI’ comes from the estate he grew up in, California Estate – Kenya – Jua cali’s music is Genge which is a Kenyan music genre that incorporates hip hop, dancehall and traditional African music styles. Jua cali’s promotional mini album *’Juacalisekta the mini album’* containing his old songs and a new songs did well on the underground scene. This has helped push sales of *JUACALISEKTA* the full album and make Jua Cali undoubtedly one of Kenya’s leading stars. With the success came recognition. This has led to his high demand at many shows, local and international. Born Joseph Mayanja, Chameleone is known for his stimulating live performances, and is revered as one of East Africa’s most versatile, creative...
See Rihanna & Amy prepping at MTV Movie Awards
There’s something distinctly voyeuristic about seeing an artist getting ready with the production crew in a quiet backstage area just before going onto stage with Jay-Z at the MTV Movie Awards- particularly if it’s Rihanna, the shiniest star on the pop scene, getting ready to perform her ella ella ella hitsong Umbrella. You can watch Rihanna “shaking off her nerves” before her big performance with the Jiggaman on MTV’s site right here – it’s a long video so let it load a while. You even get to see a smiley Paris Hilton bopping along to the music – maybe this was before all the jibes and digs around her her impending (today?) jail sentence that she had to listen to from the various presenters including the harsh Sarah Silverman… And for all the Amy Winehouse fans (if you’re not over her already 🙂 ), there’s also a clip of an apparently tipsy Amy hanging backstage with her newly betrothed husband (of two weeks) Blake Fielder-Civil before performing a ‘smouldering rendition of “Rehab” ‘. In the video she does look a bit shaky (doesn’t she always??) but they were definitely looking very in love and happy – which is a good thing considering the news that the performance was actually boo’ed by the audience (glad it doesn’t only happen at the SAMA’s) and they had a huge bust-up the next day or early morning at their hotel according to the dodgy Uk Mirror. Not the smiliest of performers. In terms of celebrating the actors and who won the actual MTV Movie Awards – Barry Ronge would be horrified to hear that the THIRD Pirates of the Caribbean was the big winner, with Johnny Depp winning the Best Performance. Mike Myers and Sasha Baron Cohen (aka Ali G) were also winners. More from Hollywood Reporters...
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