They say music makes the world go round, as universal a language as it is, it is also very delightful to know our African stars are making their mark and are highly recognized by their international counterparts and music fraternity at large. One cannot mention African music and not think of the infectious Nigerian sounds that are very much loved. Nigerian music is conquering the world market, it’s received well by many music lovers.
Nigerian pop twin brothers Psquare, born Peter and Paul Okoyen in November 1981, are some of the formidable forces taking on the world head on with their captivating sounds, that make you want to get up and dance. The duo has been in the music industry for many years, getting their big break in 2004 with the release of their debut album Last Night which got them noticed in Africa and beyond.They have a number of nominations and awards for their hits such as E’ No Easy, now their latest offering Invasion is nothing short of brilliance with hits like Chop My Money where they featured Konvict Muzik boss Akon whom they are signed under on the remix together with May D.They have also featured the massively talented Miami based hip hop superstar Rick Ross on Beautiful Onyinye which was shot in Miami, with cameo appearances from Akon and May D. They are doing very well for themselves and are doing a great job representing Africa to the world, now with a distribution deal with Universal Music Group Distribution. The sky is the limit for these two who have stayed true to their original Nigerian sound.
New kid on the block Wizkid, born Ayodegi Ibrahim Balogun is the 2012 Black Entertainment Television (BET) award winner together with his Ghanian counterpart Sarkodie, it is also in this prestigious event’s category that South African heavy weight Lira was also nominated. The award was previously won by D’Banj (who is signed to Kanye West’s record company) and 2Face. Wizkid like Psquare and Tuface joins music heavyweights Lady Gaga, TPain and female duo Brick n Lace in the Konvict Muzic stable. The young man is following on the footsteps of his homeboys by collaborating with American superstars like Young Jeezy and The Game.
Seems like this world take over is not just a Nigerian thing, but an African tale,here at home, our very own songstress Thandiswa Mazwai formerly the lead singer of kwaito outfit Bongo Maffin, now a successful solo artist with two award winning albums on her belt is touring the States and Europe with legendary musician Paul Simon on his Graceland 25th Annivesary tour in New York. The tour started from the 12th of July in Dublin and ends on the 26th July in Norway. Grammy award winning legends the Ladysmith Black Mambazo are also part of this much talked about tour. Africa is taking its rightful place in the international arena and we can only be so proud of our stars doing well to get us noticed for the talent we possess.
Bonnie is an intern at Jucy Africa, she is into fashion, music and all things beautiful. On twitter she is @BonnieMes
