Tag: Nigeria

  • {Nigeria} 8 music stars you didn’t know until 2014

    {Nigeria} 8 music stars you didn’t know until 2014

    About 15 years ago, virtually all the youths in Nigeria listened to the likes of Tupac, Puff Daddy, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion amongst others. Those who did not listen to these famous stars were considered out-of-vogue. But the music industry in Nigeria has grown so rapidly that the nation’s youths are now as addicted to homegrown music. Every year since the turn of the millennium has presented numerous singing sensations, who go on to make their mark in the industry. In 2014, some more artistes burst onto the scene. It is not as if they were debutants; they just hadn’t hit it big until the year: PATORANKING

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    Patrick Okorie, musically known as Patoranking, is arguably the most successful revelation of 2014. Patoranking is a Nigerian reggae-dancehall singer who has been in the industry since 2009 but hit limelight only in 2014. The artiste, who hails from Ebonyi state Nigeria, was signed to K-Solo’s Igberaga records in 2010 but moved to Timaya’s Dem Mama records, where he released his popular track Alubarika, a collaborative work with Timaya. Early in 2014, Patoranking worked with Mavin Records first lady Tiwa Savage in the release of the hit song Girlie O. He has however gone on to win a number of awards while also earning nominations for at least others. Among his outstanding laurels are best new act of the year, the Nigerian Entertainment awards; and best reggae/dancehall act of the year, City People entertainment awards. He won three other major awards at The headies 2014. YEMI ALADE
    Yemi Alade

    “Johnny o, Johnny o; I’m looking for my Johnny. Where is my Johnny? Do you know Johnny? Question!” Anyone who has even a slight interest in the Nigerian music scene for 2014 must have, at one time or the other, heard the lines above, belonging to Afro pop singer, Yemi Eberechi Alade. Yemi Alade won a measure of popularity by winning the Peak talent show in 2009. Although she released Ghen Ghen Love, produced by OJB Jezreel, she soon went underground but kept on working on other songs. Early in 2014, she released the her hit single Johnny, a song that grossed over 800,000 YouTube views within two months. She went on to be the first Nigerian artiste to run her song totally in French with the release of Johnny French version. She was nominated for female artiste of the year at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards, Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards and City people entertainment awards for 2014. The ‘King of Queens’ was also nominated as the next rated artist of the year at the 2014 Headies. REEKADO BANKS
    Redo Banks

    You probably have never heard of Solomon Ayo Hanniel, but you sure have heard of Reekado Banks. Well, both names belong to one man, who is is perhaps the best artiste recently signed on to Don Jazzy’s Mavin records. It was an awesome introduction for Banks, who hit the scenes with a feature on hit track Dorobucci by the Mavin crew. This song became almost as popular as the previous decade’s Yahoozee by Olu Maintain, and was perhaps the country’s most sung song of 2014. Every new artiste on that song sure became a revelation for 2014. Banks released Turn it up, an album under the record label (Mavin) in 2014. His hit single, Chop am, also went on to win him the Rookie of the year at The Headies . TIMI DAKOLO

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    This is one name you may not have expected to see on this list. However, he was one great revelation for 2014. Dakolo won the very first edition of Idols West Africa, beating Pop queen, Omawumi to the top prize. His year of revelation was to be 2007/2008 after he had registered such a milestone at the Idols, but the impact of this breed of two countries – born to a Nigerian father and a Ghanaian mother – was pronounced in 2014. In 2009, he released a couple of songs and was considered hip hop world revelation of the year in 2010. In 2011, he released another single, There’s a cry, which went on to increase his popularity in the industry. However, 2014 was the year that Timi Dakolo released a song that not only got air play all through Africa, but also at virtually all wedding ceremonies in the country. It’s a suitable replacement for Tosin Martin’s Olo mi. This song is the emotion-laced Iyawo Mi. The 33-year-old crowned his 2014 efforts with a humorous sensation video to complement the lovely song. Iyawo Mi won the best male vocal performance of the year at The Headies. KOREDE BELLO

    Korede Bello

    ‘Mavin’s Michael Jackson’, Korede Bello is more than just a pretty face who leaves the girls in odd fantasies but also a multi-talented artiste set to add a missing piece to the Nigerian music scene. Korede found his way to limelight by getting signed on to Don Jazzy’s Mavin records and featuring on two hit songs, Dorobucci and Adaobi, by the Mavin crew. The mass communication student at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos, is also a guitarist of worth. Recently, Woodin Nation endorsed him as an ambassador. Born on February 29, a date which shows up on the calendar only once every four years, the 18-year-old has a couple awards for his efforts. The outgoing year was no doubt a “blessed year” for the “African Prince”. LIL KESH
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    If you are an old fan of Femi Kuti, you must have heard of his 1998 album, ‘Shoki Shoki’. And if you are a lover of Geography and unheard places, you must have heard of ‘Shoki’, a village in Azerbaijan. But if you love Nigerian music and dance, you must have heard of the Shoki dance. Strangely, the song is quite more popular than Lil Kesh, the artiste who “postulated” it. The 21-year-old rapper. who got signed onto prolific rapper Olamide’s YBNL (Yahoo Boy No Laptop) label, is credited as the artiste who created the new street dance of the outgoing year. Christened Ololade Keshinro, the artiste is a second year student of the department of Linguistics at the University of Lagos. As at August 2014, Shoki was the third most-downloaded song on iTunes in Nigeria and almost won him the best street hop artiste award, but Oritse Femi beat him to it his Double Wahala. With various versions of Shoki rocking the airwaves, 2014 was indeed a great year for Lil Kesh. DI’JA

    Di-Ja2

    Hadiza Blell, also known as aphroDIJA or Di’ja for short is the second lady on the Mavin records label after award-winning first lady Tiwa Savage. Di’ja is one rare breed who brought some crispness into the Mavin crew for the year 2015. The academic, who has a double degree in Biology and Psychology, is a combination of three countries, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Lebanon. She was born to a Nigerian mother and a Lebanese/Sierra Leonean father and spent most of her years in Kaduna, Sierra Leone, Canada and the United states. She was signed unto Mavin records in 2014, and since then, she has worked on four outstanding songs: Yaro, Dorobucci, Adaobi and Awww. Di’ja was nominated as the promising act of the year at the Nigerian Entertainment awards 2014. Joseph Blell, her father, is a former Sierra Leonean ambassador to Nigeria. UNIQUE REVELATION—FALZ
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    One person who fits perfectly into a unique category for 2014 revelation is Folarin Falana (Falz or Falzthebahdguy). Who would believe that the musician, comedian or entertainer as he likes to call himself is the son of legal luminary, Femi Falana (SAN)? Falz who has a couple of comedy skits all over social media, was a pleasant appearance for music and comedy lovers in 2014. BAHD (Brilliant And Highly Distinct) guy came as a 2-in-1 capsule. A barrister like his father, he graduated from the University of Reading in the United Kingdom but was called to the bar in Nigeria. His album, #Wazupguy, which features Yemi Alade, Olamide amongst others, is an infusion of comedy and music. Falz crowned his year with a video of his hit-song Marry Me featuring Yemi Alade. The video had more than 250,000 views within three weeks. HONOURABLE MENTIONS Other artistes who had a nice feel of the lime light but could not fit perfectly into our list of seven are outstanding artistes like Orezi, Seyi Shay, Cynthia Morgan, Kennis Music act and 2Face Idibia’s lookalike, Joel Amadi (Joe-El).
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  • [Nigeria] 2014 Headies Award – Ghanaian Rapper, Sarkodie Won Artiste of the Year

    [Nigeria] 2014 Headies Award – Ghanaian Rapper, Sarkodie Won Artiste of the Year

    Sarkodie-LiesGhanaian Rapper Michael Owusu better known as Sarkodie last Sunday at the 2014 Headies award won Best African Artist of the Year while Patoranking becomes the proud owner of a Hyundai 4×4 after winning the Next Rated category.

    Patoranking the buzzing dancehall act dominated most of the event as the music act went home with three awards. His first award was for his collaborative effort on’Emergency’. The hit single earned him the Best Collabo award alongside WizzyPro, Skales and Runtown.

    His second award was the Best Reggae /Dancehall category for his hit single ‘Patoranking’. His biggest award of the night was when he clinched the Next Rated award category. In a moving speech the artiste recollected his humble beginnings when he sold rat poisons and worked on at construction sites.

    Mavin boss Don Jazzy also went home with two awards. He and his crew won the ‘Best Pop Single’ award. Later in the night, he won the major award, Producer of the Year. Fellow Mavin act Reekado Banks went home with two awards two, Best Pop Single and Rookie of the Year.

    List of Winners:

    Best R&B Single – Let Somebody Love You by 2face Idibia.

    Best Pop Single – Dorobucci by The Mavins

    Best Rap Single – Parcel by Phyno

    Best Street Hop – Double Wahala by Oritsefemi

    Best Vocal Performance (Male) – Iyawo Mi by Timi Dakolo

    Best R&B/Pop Album – The Journey by Sean Tizzle

    Best Vocal Performance (Female) – Love To Love You by Niyola.

    Best Rap Album – Baddest Guy Ever Liveth by Olamide.

    Best Reggae/Dancehall – Girlie O by Patoranking

    Best Collabo – Emergency by WizzyPro featuring Skales, Runtown and Patoranking

    Best Recording of the Year – Ordinary People by Cobhams Asuquo

    Best Alternative Song – Bolaji by BOJ.

    Producer of the Year: Don Jazzy

    Lyricist on the Roll: Jesse Jagz

    Next Rated: Patoranking

    Hall of Fame:Sir Victor Uwaifo

    African Artiste of the Year – Sarkodie

    Rookie of the Year: Reekado Banks

    Best Music Video: Ada Ada (Flavour) by Clarence Peters

    Song of the Year: Aye by Davido

    Album of the Year: Baddest Guy Ever Liveth by Olamide.

    Artiste of the Year: Davido.

    Source : 233 Coded

  • [Nigeria] How we made our first N1million – P-Square

    [Nigeria] How we made our first N1million – P-Square

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    Peter and Paul Okoye of Psquare, winners of the Special recognition award at the just concluded Headies awards, which was held at the Eko hotel and suites, Lagos have revealed how it took them years to save their first million naira.

    Just before they were given their awards, the twin brothers who wowed the audience with a rendition of their old tracks, at the annual music and video awards, revealed the other side of them that fans did not know.

    “While we were living in Jos, we lived with our uncle and he gave us – Jude, Paul and Peter just one room to share. It wasn’t easy, we were squatting with a large family.

    “Somehow, we came to Lagos and after selling our stuffs, we were able to rent a one-room apartment and you know we had no chairs but we did not care. All we were after was how to market our music…..eventually money started coming in but it was small, very small. For a while, we were angry that our names were being mentioned everywhere and peeps would see us to say, ‘I just saw your music on MTV base”, meanwhile we had no TV to even watch the MTV base in our house”.

    On their first one million naira, they said “The first time we had one million naira we celebrated it. For a long while, all we could save was N850,000 and it was paining us. One day however, we went for a concert and right there we were paid N150,000, then it was big money. We immediately added it to the N850,000 and voila, we had N1million. We bought drinks to celebrate, we were glad that we were now millionaires”.

    “To the upcoming artiste, you don’t make money immediately, it’s like you are investing in music and would reap later on”.

    Source : 233 Coded

  • Nigeria: Tanzanian, South African Floor Nigeria’s Davido At Channel O Music Awards

    Nigeria: Tanzanian, South African Floor Nigeria’s Davido At Channel O Music Awards

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    Tanzanian artiste, Diamond and South Africa’s Cassper Nyovest emerged the biggest winners at the just concluded 2014 Channel O Music Awards held in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday night

    Both acts won 3 awards while Nigeria’s Davido, missed out on all the categories he was nominated for.

    While Cassper Nyovest won “Most Gifted Male”, Most Gifted Southern” and “Most Gifted Video Of The Year, Diamond won “Most Gifted Newcomer,” “Most Gifted Afro Pop” and “Most Gifted East”.

    Mavin records’ singer Tiwa Savage won “most gifted female” as 5 Star records’ lead act, KCee, won the “Most Gifted Duo, Group Or Featuring” category for his song, Pull over featuring Wizkid.

    Rapper, Olamide emerged “Most Gifted West” for his hit song, “Turn up”.

    Meanwhile, ace music producer, Donjazzy, disagreed with the organizers of the award on the winner of “Most Gifted Video of The Year” won by Cassper Nyovest.

    The Mavin boss said Davido, who obviously is having a good year, should have won the award for his “Aye” video.

    “My most gifted video award is Aye by Davido sha. #MyOpinion. He definitely owned 2014. #Okbye” he tweeted via his twitter handle, @DONJAZZY.

    See full winners list below:

    MOST GIFTED MALE CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA*** Winner DAVIDO – AYE RIKY RICK FT OKMALUMKOOLKAT – AMANTOMBAZANE K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA SARKODIE – ILLUMINATI

    MOST GIFTED FEMALE THEMBI SEETE – THUNTSHA LEROLE BUCIE FT HEAVY K – EASY TO LOVE LIZHA JAMES FT UHURU – QUEM TI MANDOU TIWA SAVAGE FT DON JAZZY – EMINADO** Winner SEYI SHAY – IRAWO

    MOST GIFTED NEWCOMER DREAM TEAM FT TAMARSHA, AKA & BIG NUZ – TSEKEDE CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA EMMY GEE FT AB CRAZY & DJ DIMPLEZ – RANDS AND NAIRAS DIAMOND – NUMBER ONE** Winner PATORANKING – GIRLIE O (REMIX)

    MOST GIFTED DUO, GROUP OR FEATURING

    UHURU FT OSKIDO & PROFESSOR – Y-TJUKUTJA DJ CLOCK FT BEATENBERG – PLUTO (I REMEMBER) R2BEES FT WIZKID – SLOW DOWN K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA KCEE FT WIZKID – PULL OVER** Winner

    MOST GIFTED DANCE UHURU FT OSKIDO & PROFESSOR – Y-TJUKUTJA DAVIDO – SKELEWU DJ CLOCK FT BEATENBERG – PLUTO (I REMEMBER) P SQUARE – PERSONALLY BUSISWA FT VARIOUS – NGOKU** Winner

    MOST GIFTED RAGGA DANCEHALL BUFFALO SOULJAH – BASAWINE** Winner OREZI – RIHANNA JESSE JAGGZ FEAT WIZKID – BAD GIRL PATORANKING – GIRLIE O (REMIX) SHATTA WALE – EVERYDOBY LIKES MY TING

    MOST GIFTED AFRO POP DAVIDO – AYE MAFIKIZOLO FT MAY D – HAPPINESS DIAMOND – NUMBER ONE** Winner FLAVOUR ADA ADA IYANYA – JOMBOLO

    MOST GIFTED KWAITO UHURU FT OSKIDO & PROFESSOR – Y-TJUKUTJA** Winner CHARACTER FT MONO T & OSKIDO – INXEBA LENDODA BIG NUZ FT KHAYA MTHETHWA – INCWADI YOTHANDO DJ VETKUK VS MAHOOTA – KHABA LENJA DJ CNDO – YAMNANDI INTO

    MOST GIFTED R&B 2FACE FT T PAIN – RAINBOW JIMMY NEVIS FT KWESTA – BALLOON GB COLLECTIVE FT BRIAN TEMBA & REASON – CHOCOLATE VANILLA DONALD – CRAZY BUT AMAZING** Winner NIYOLA – TOH BAD

    MOST GIFTED HIP HOP CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA KHULI CHANA FT DA L.E.S & MAGESH – HAPE LE HAPE 2.1 PHYNO – ALOBAM K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA AKA – CONGRATULATE** Winner

    MOST GIFTED SOUTHERN DJ CLOCK FT BEATENBERG – PLUTO (I REMEMBER) CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA** Winner AKA – CONGRATULATE ZEUS – PSYCH K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA

    MOST GIFTED WEST R2BEES FT WIZKID – SLOW DOWN DAVIDO – AYE BURNA BOY FT D’BANJ – WON DA MO OLAMIDE – TURN UP** Winner DR SID FT DON JAZZY – SURULERE

    MOST GIFTED EAST SAUTI SOL – NSHIKE DIAMOND – NUMBER ONE** Winner NAVIO – NO HOLDING BACK EDDY KENZO – SITYA LOSS ELANI – KOOKOO

    MOST GIFTED VIDEO OF THE YEAR EMMY GEE FT AB CRAZY & DJ DIMPLEZ – RANDS AND NAIRAS DAVIDO – AYE K.O. FT KID X – CARACARA BURNA BOY – RUN MY RACE TIWA SAVAGE FT DON JAZZY – EMINADO DR SID FT DON JAZZY – SURULERE RIKY RICK FT OKMALUMKOOLKAT – AMANTOMBAZANE CASSPER NYOVEST – DOC SHEBELEZA** Winner SARKODIE – ILLUMINATI DJ CLOCK FT BEATENBERG – PLUTO (I REMEMBER) AKA – CONGRATULATE DIAMOND – NUMBER ONE

  • Uganda : Nigerian sensation Burnaboy promises big ahead of Club Mega Fest

    Uganda : Nigerian sensation Burnaboy promises big ahead of Club Mega Fest

     

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    Nigerian reggae-dancehall star Burnaboy touched down at Entebbe International Airport aboard a Kenya Airways flight in the wee hours of Friday on his first ever trip to Uganda.

    The West African musician is in the country to take part in the Club Mega Fest scheduled to take place at Mandela national stadium (Namboole) on Saturday.

    Popular for hits like “Yawa Dey” “Run MY Race” and “Wombolombo”, Burnaboy will feature on same stage as American superstar Shaggy, South Africa’s Mafikizolo and Jamaican legend Patra.

    The dancehall sensation, whose real names are Damini Ogulu, arrived emerged from the Arrivals section at Entebbe airport clad in a black T-shirt and black shorts, all matched with a black hoodie teamed with long white socks.
    He immediately promised to live up to his fans’ expectations on Saturday.

    “I am looking forward to performing at the Club Mega Fest because this is my first time in Uganda. I’ve also been told about the good girls here. I can’t wait!”

    More international acts are expected to arrive in the country ahead of the hyped show as the buildup to the event – dubbed the biggest music festival Uganda has seen – reaches its climax.