Vanessa Obioha
Under the glowing lights and warm ambience of Sky Lounge at Eko Hotels and Suites, the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) prepared a table before the former Managing Director of First Bank Nigeria, Bisi Onasanya. It was a fine and private dinner to recognise the contribution of Onasanya who is now into real estate to the continental awards that was birthed in 2014.
As the guests began to troop in, the camaraderie in the lounge grew. The international committee of jurors who had been in the country for over a week to assess the over 8,000 entries submitted for the 2021 edition greeted and joked with one another, the selected journalists exchanged pleasantries while the host Mike Dada and his crew welcomed all and ensured that the event was without a glitch.
The cynosure of the event, Onasanya, arrived in the company of his wife and friends. For the occasion, the retired banker donned a plain blue senator outfit while his wife dazzled in a white glittering buba with a blue head tie.
Although the dinner was to appreciate the efforts of Onasanya, it was also a show of resilience and commitment. Resilience on the part of the continental awards which in the past eight years have continued to highlight and celebrate talents from all parts of Africa. Artistes from countries that hardly enjoy continental visibility enjoy fame on AFRIMA as the awards traversed all corners of the continent.
For instance, the 2018 edition held in Accra, Ghana saw an emotional Hamza El Fadly, a Moroccan singer accept his award for the Best Male Artiste in North Africa. Chad DJ, Afrotronix who also took home the AFRIMA African DJ trophy was elated to be recognised on the platform.
But the awards had not been without glitches. Much of these were highlighted in the speech of former Lagos State Commissioner for Arts Culture and Tourism, Steve Ayorinde. Ayorinde who serves as the Chairman International Media Committee of AFRIMA recalled how Dada shared his idea with him which at the time he thought was an ambitious project. But time would prove otherwise as the awards always emerged victorious despite the challenges thrown at it. One of such is a peculiar event that happened at Casablanca, Morocco. The details of that incident cannot be shared here as it would be told better by the jurors and international committee of the awards. Nevertheless, in Kenny Ogungbe’s eyes, AFRIMA is the best thing that could ever happen to Africa. Arguably, the showbiz maestro said, it is the Grammys for Africa. Its partnership with the African Union Commission (AUC) is a testament to its transparency and longevity.
But the success of AFRIMA partly rests on the able shoulders of its jury. Their commitment to the awards since inception is noteworthy. Every edition sees the jury fly in from different parts of the continent, representing each region as they deliberate on which entries deserve a spot on the nomination list.
Robert Ekukole, a Cameroonian representing Central Africa emphasised the dedication of the jury during his speech and prize presentation to the patron.
According to him, despite the stress of the pandemic, the jury still gathered to show their commitment. They put in eight days of hard work with little sleep. For the 2021 edition, AFRIMA received a total of 8,800 entries. Majority of the entries were from West Africa which had 30.4 per cent submissions, followed by Eastern Africa with 28.8 per cent. Southern Africa, Central Africa and North Africa and international acts have 22.9 per cent, 12.3 per cent, 4.9 per cent and 0.7 per cent respectively.
Although not all the jury members made it to the country, they, however, joined by Zoom. The 13-man international jury members present at the dinner include Hadja Kobele, representing diaspora from Guinea/USA; Kenyan Tabu Osusa, representing Eastern Africa; Congolese Charles Tabu, representing Central Africa; Olisa Adibua representing West Africa, and Egyptian Alaa Zain Makky who stood in for Angela Martins, Head of Culture, AUC.
This year’s number of entries shattered records as it is the highest the awards has ever received since inception. They were received from 50 African countries across the five regions of Africa and 10 countries from Europe and North America including Spain, the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA), France, Portugal, among others.
“We hope in the coming years AFRIMA would go much further and will stand very tall in the world-class of music and arts,” said Ekukole.
By anointing Onasanya as its patron, AFRIMA will have to put in extra work as the shrewd businessman expects nothing below excellence.
“I expect something far better than we had in the past, a world-class awards that can compete with the best anywhere in the world and we will do it in a very professional manner such that the outcome is delightful to whoever is part of the show.”
He had no qualms accepting the role having seen the persistence and doggedness of Dada. Moreover, Onasanya sees the creative industry as a sector that can be improved.
“It is the industry today and the future. No matter how well we have done, we can always do better. It’s about how well prepared we are to milk and put in everything it takes to get the best out of it.”
By throwing his weight behind AFRIMA, Onasanya said he is giving back to society, particularly the youth population which he described as strong and talented.
“The only way we can do that is to make sure that we provide platforms for the youths to showcase their skills. There is no limit to what we get from Africans… Africans have shown that they always excel anywhere in the world when you put them in the right environment, give them the right resources and tools to operate,” he said.
AFRIMA 2021 is scheduled to hold on November 18. The host city is yet to be disclosed.
