AFRIMA Jurors Arrive in Lagos to Screen 8,000 Entries

NAN/

Thirteen international jurors of the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, will
arrive Lagos, Nigeria on Wednesday 8 August, ahead of a week-long adjudication following the closing of entries.

About 8,000 entries for songs and videos were received for the 5th edition of the annual awards.

The jurors from five African regions, the diaspora(Europe and America) and the African Union Commission will carry out their work at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.

They are tasked with the responsibility of deciding which artistes and or recordings should make it to the 5th AFRIMA Nominees List that would be unveiled to the world on Tuesday, August 14.

The Jurors’ responsibility involves screening, categorising, assessing,
grading and selecting nominees into the 38 different Regional and Continental awarding categories who will vie for the 23.9-carat gold-plated AFRIMA trophy.

Creative works between August 1, 2017, to August 1, 2018, will be considered.

The eminent AFRIMA International Jury has two members drawn
from each region of Africa, one African music professional each
representing the Diaspora; (i.e. Europe and North America), and a
representative of the African Union Commission.

Tanzania’s Joett, a veteran vocal coach and artiste development manager whose songwriting skills earned him registered membership of the American Society of
Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), is one of the jurors from East Africa.

There is also Tabu Osusa from Kenya. The veteran music professional has spent more than three decades in music production and promotion. He has chaired several musicals
projects within and outside Kenya.

Representing Central Africa from the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC is
Charles Tabu, a Music Executive, with wide experience in artiste management and promotion. Charles has worked with major record labels across the continent including Sony, Universal and Warner.

The second juror member for Central Africa is Bob Ekukole, a renowned Cameroonian media and music professional with 29 years of experience in media and broadcasting.
He is at present the Director, TV Programmes and Production, Cameroon Radio and Television, CRTV.

Northern Africa is represented by Omar Essaidi, a Moroccan music
programmer and artistic director. He brings to bear his practical
experience as judge/jury for several musical contests in Northern Africa.

Zimbabwean radio DJ, Delani Makhalima, takes up one of the two slots for
Southern Africa. The entertainment and media executive has also honed his
professional experience in songwriting and music composition in the region.

Filling the second slot is South Africa’s music professional, Chris Syren
who is the co-founder and director of Making Music Productions (MMP), a
music production company that has played a vital role in music promotion
in South Africa.

Western Africa representatives include Olisa Adibua, prolific broadcaster,
music executive and talent manager from Nigeria and David Tayorault, a
Côte d’Ivoire music legend, whose work in the music industry has
influenced the jazz, blues, soul, zouk and Brazilian samba genre in
Western Africa countries.

Representing the Diaspora-Europe is Rita Ray, a UK-based BBC Radio 3
presenter, International Music Curator and popular Club DJ Europe. Her
counterpart representing Diaspora-North America is Hadja Kobélé Keita, a
music executive whose career spans experience in Artiste and Repertoire
management and Public Relations with Universal Music Africa/Island Africa.

The African Union Commission is represented by Angela Martins,
professional African Culture Analyst and African music enthusiast. Angela
Martins is the Head, Culture Division, African Union.

In its 5th edition, AFRIMA, the biggest music awards event in Africa, in
partnership with the African Union Commission, recognizes, celebrates and
rewards musical creativity and talents across the continent and globally.
AFRIMA promotes Africa’s rich cultural heritage and endless possibilities
to the world for global competitiveness.

The 5th AFRIMA is scheduled to hold in November 2018 and programme of
events will include the Africa Music Business Summit; The AFRIMA Music
Village and the Main Awards Ceremony. These events will be broadcast live
to over 84 countries around the world.

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