After Grammy, Angelique Kidjo receives her AFRIMA trophies

BENINESE multi award winning singer and songwriter, Angelique Kidjo, has said that she is especially honoured when award projects on the continent recognise her with rewards for music excellence.

   The Savoy Records star artiste made this declaration recently in Cotonou, 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 All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, which held on Saturday, December 27, 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria.

   The AFRIMA trophies were presented to the legendary African singer by the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Republic du Benin, Monsieur Jean-Michel Abimbola, while AFRIMA Country Director, Republic du Benin, Monsieur Richmir Totah 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, Ms. 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 Academy 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.

   Over 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.