KORA AWARD 2004 WINNER: JJC & 419 SQUAD | FLY | AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST: CITY GUIDES/EVENTS

The awards ceremony is broadcast via satellite to over 70 countries -- apart from sports events it stands alone for broadcasting live in Africa, Europe, Asia, the USA and Canada. The idea behind the awards is to promote African music internationally and to unite the continent through music and the arts to promote a positive image to the rest of the world.

It is a massive undertaking to award artists from all over the continent Best African Group or Most Promising African Female but the system somehow manages to cover all the music genres and corners of the continent, with over 20 awards for Best Male/ Female Gospel Artist; Best Traditional African Group; Best male/ female artist from Central Africa etc

This year the winner of the Best African group was awarded jointly to JJC & 419 Squad (Nigeria/ UK) & Malaika (South Africa). It turns out JJC and 419 Squad are London-dwellers and class themselves as Afropeans -- Africans based in the European Diaspora.

The group JJC & 419 Squad have been busy performing in Nigeria and London for some time and at some of the top spots -- New Africa Shrine in Lagos, WOMAD 2003 and 2004 and The Shrine at Cargo in the UK, as well as in America and France.

Their tracks have been featured in UK film and TV dramas including Stephen Frears' Oscar-nominated film Dirty Pretty Things and Channel 4 prime-time TV drama Stealing Lives. The group also has huge airplay on Nigerian TV and radio, as well as on international releases like Charlie Gillett's World 2004 compilation (Wrasse Records); the Union Square Music's Afrobeat Sessions compilation and the label's Global Hip Hop compilation.

JJC -- the front man of the group -- is also one of the online hosts of BBC's Africa On Your Street, a website focusing on African music coming out of the UK. He is also a successful record producer in his own right -- Backbone Music is his baby -- and has worked with the hot names in the British R&B scene, including Jamelia, Lemar, and Liberty X and is getting some new Nigerian-British groups some airplay too, such as D-banj and Kween.

Apart from this impressive CV -- the sound JJC & 419 Squad are producing is good listening because it comes from a whole mix of influences and roots. Their recent album Atide! shows there's no self-consciousness here for living in the UK as African musicians -- no towing the line or doing what has been done before. It's good simple dance music with hip hop, R&B, soca, salsa, garage, mixed with African flavours and good production.

'Malemisita' stands out as a really catchy number with some salsa, some highlife and some hip hop all mixed up into a groovy little number. 'Demu Gani' features the haunting voice of TID -- a big Tanzanian R&B artist -- and JJC singing and rapping in KiSwahili, Yoruba and English with simple dance beats to tap your feet to.

We should keep an eye out for JJC & 419 Squad. Although JJC seems to be everywhere if you need help finding him here are some links:
www.jjc2uk.com
www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/africaonyourstreet/jjc.shtml

Atide! is released by Backbone Music and is available at Sterns Music and Amazon

Some of the winners at the Kora 2004 Awards were:

Best African Group Award: JJC & 419 Squad (Nigeria/ UK) & Malaika (South Africa)
Best Southern Africa Male Artist: Kabelo Mabalane (South Africa)
Best Southern Africa Female Artist: Thandiswa Mazwai (South Africa)
Best male artist from West Africa: Kunle (Nigeria)
Best female artist from West Africa: Kamaldine (Guinea)
Best male artist from East Africa: Big Pin (Kenya)
Best female artist from East Africa: Tsedenia Gebremarkos (Ethiopia) & Achien'g Abura (Kenya)
Best male artist from Central Africa: Felix Wazekwa (Democratic Republic of Congo) & Werra-son (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Best African male diaspora (US): Usher (US)
Best artist Europe-Caribbean diaspora: Kaysha (France)
Best Female Gospel Artist: Deborah Fraser (South Africa)
Best gospel male artist: DNG (Kenya)
Best gospel group: Schekina (Ivory Coast)
Most promising African male artist: Madson Junior Gnou-Sou (Burkina Faso)
Most Promising African Female: Swazi (South Africa)
Best Traditional African Group: Mahube (South Africa)
Best traditional African artist: King Mensah Aya (Togo)
Best Video: Zola for 'Don't Cry' (South Africa) & Reggie Rockstone for 'Ah' (Ghana)
Best Arrangement: Wanda Baloyi (South Africa)

For more info go to the Kora Awards website at www.koraawards.co.za

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Hello to u Nigerian…. One Love my People ,Nothing Dey Happen, No long thing,Nothing dey Pan, I just won greet u all say Marry X-Mas and Happy New Year I Love u Guys… 2face,Rudgedman,eedris,Style Plus,E.t.c I Love u Guys Keep On Ricking….. Na me Samuel dey Talk from Bariga

Hello to u all my Girls and my Niggas…. i Love u Guys and i will never forget my country Nigeria……. I dey for Bariga dey Gbadun my Life…… All my Niggales in G.S.G.S.I Love u Guys and i wish u best of Luck in Your Es=xamination am Tunde(A.K.A On Fire)

Hello All my Ladies And Gentle Men, Hope all is well with you all, well I just want to say Hello to my friends in Nigeria, this is Fidelis from Uk, So Una fit Hoola me for my email address, fidelity20052001@yahoo.com

hi 2face, am from rwanda i like ur songs like african queen and the one u did with free style ,they’re realy cool,but u huv 2 change ur style ur songs sound reggae but the beats are hip hop!!!!what’s that?u huv 2 change it , if hip hop then cool and if reggea then cool,to that point u’ll be more wonderful

dear sir,
i will like u to sign me up on ur recording label,i am a young talented nigeria articles ,who is looking for a recording label,i am kenny klex by name,who is into rap music,and i also believe working with you,will be a good success.
i will be looking forward to hear from u ,with a good reply.
thanks
kenny klex

Hi jjc,
I’m a 19years old nigeria who just arrived in London.I have been a great fan of yours back home in Nigeria an I’m still one,I have been hoping that one of these days I’ll get to meet u in person well I don’t have to wait for too long any more cos the oppur tunity I have been waiting for has just arrived,I be honored to work with u now that I’m in London,I have a blazing demo of my music recorded back at home ready for your hear.
yours truly,
EAZY ‘G’

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NO GOING BACK

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