The Museke Online Africa Music Awards (MOAMAs) is the inaugural awards held to celebrate African music and musicians achievement online. The power of the internet has enabled African musicians to market their music outside their communities and countries, to other African countries as well as to people outside the continent.

Museke.com has become one of the biggest African music websites with content from over 30 African countries and major traffic from African countries. It has helped musicians to be discovered by fans not from their home countries and has been a source of news, blogs for fans everywhere. Museke.com has been tagged the African music bible.

Museke is partnering with other African music fans and websites who are dedicated to seeing Africans learn about African music and promoting new and popular African music.

The first edition of the awards promotes as many African musicians from as many different countries and styles as it aims to unite African music fans everywhere.

There are 28 categories in all with 7 nominees for each. The nominees come from all over Africa and with varied styles.

Here at the UsofAfrica blog,  we believe a much larger spectrum of African artists could of  be easily worked on and wonder why there exists such a large discrepancy from one award show to the next ( MTV Africa, KORA, ect..),  specifically in regards to the representation of French speaking African artists ( and also Portuguese for that matter ). Where are So Kalmery, Oumou Sangare, Ba Cissoko, Mulatu Astatke, Tinariwen, Rokia Traoré, Amadou & Mariam, Bassekou Kouyaté, Lura, Staff Benda Bilili or Konono #1 ?Another question, where is the Coupé Décalé scene from Ivory Coast ? It’s making a buzz worlwide but has not much visibility.  All these great artists are ambassador’s of African music at large and we can only hope this on line contest will get better with time.

Voting will take place on http://awards.museke.com (http://moamas.com) until 15 May, with winners being announced on 1 June. Users can vote once everyday. If like us, you  believe that Africa is the Future of music, please pass along these links, so we can have a global influence on the african musical scene.

Below is the full list of nominees (arranged by song/album, name & country). We have hightlighted a few of the most important categories from the whole contest.

African song of the year
Bumper to bumper – Wande Coal – Nigeria

Juju – Black Coffee – South Africa

Meme pas fatigue – Magic System/Cheb Khaled – Cote d’Ivoire/Algeria

Show ce soir – Bisso na Bisso – Congo Brazzaville

Sunshine – Nameless – Kenya

Where you are – Blu3 – Uganda

Yori yori – Bracket – Nigeria

Artist of the Year
A-Y – Tanzania

Barbara Kanam – DR Congo

Darey – Nigeria

Fally Ipupa – DR Congo

HHP – South Africa

Lizha James – Mozambique

Wande Coal – Nigeria

Best Male Artist
A-Y – Tanzania
Alikiba – Tanzania
Darey – Nigeria
Fally Ipupa – DR Congo
HHP – South Africa
Ralph Anselmo – Angola
Wande Coal – Nigeria

Best Female Artist
Adiouza – Senegal
Amani – Kenya
Barbara Kanam – DR Congo
Dama do Bling – Mozambique
Lira – South Africa
Lizha James – Mozambique
Suzanna Lubrano – Cape Verde

Best Group
Blu3 – Uganda
Bracket – Nigeria
Gal Level – Namibia
Jozi – South Africa
Mowzey Radio & Weasel – Uganda
P-Square – Nigeria
Sauti Sol – Kenya

Best Album
Ali K 4 Real – Alikiba – Tanzania
Be free – Blu3 – Uganda
Dagaati – Samini – Ghana
Karibu – Barbara Kanam – DR Congo
Mushin 2 Mohits – Wande Coal – Nigeria
Mwanzo- Sauti Sol – Kenya
O Cupido – Ralph Anselmo – Angola

Best African Collaboration
Ca ne connait pas – Yeleen/Magic System – Burkina Faso/Cote d’Ivoire
Leo remix – A-Y/Avril/Wahu – Tanzania/Kenya
Malembe – Mokobe/Fally Ipupa – Mali/DR Congo
Meme pas fatigue – Magic System/Cheb Khaled – Cote d’Ivoire/Algeria
My type of guy – Buffalo Souljah/TayGrin/Gal Level – Zimbabwe/Malawi/Namibia
Put it down – Sasha P/Dama do Bling – Nigeria/Mozambique
Voodoo – Lizha James/Mandoza – Mozambique/South Africa

Best New Artist/Group
Adiouza – Senegal
Blick Bassy – Cameroun
Mowzey Radio & Weasel – Uganda
M.I – Nigeria
Sarkodie – Ghana
Sauti Sol – Kenya
STL – Kenya

Best Music Video
Breathe – D-Black & KwakuT – Ghana
Estilo Xaxhale – Lizha James – Mozambique
I want you back – XOD – Uganda
Juju – Black Coffee – South Africa
Mpitse – HHP – South Africa
Not the girl – Darey – Nigeria
Safe – M.I. – Nigeria

Best Video producer
Andinos Visuals – Angola
Boss Playa – Cote D’Ivoire
Clarence Peters – Nigeria
DJ Marcell – Mozambique
Gorilla Films – South Africa
Ogopa Video – Kenya
Phamous People – Ghana

Best Beat maker
Bue d beats – Angola
Culoe de Song – South Africa
Don Jazzy – Nigeria
Hermy B – Tanzania
Ogopa DJs – Kenya
Richie – Ghana
Swangz Ave – Uganda

Record of the year
Breadwinners – ProVerb – South Africa
Engongole – Movaizhaleine – Gabon
Go down there – 2Face Idibia – Nigeria
Usinibore – Just A Band – Kenya
Waving Flag – K’Naan – Somalia
We are Africans – JJC – Nigeria
Yesterday Betteh Pass Tiday – Emmerson – Sierra Leone

West Africa song of the year
Bumper to bumper – Wande Coal – Nigeria
Maadou – Adiouza – Senegal
Sans guebe – DJ Lewis – Cote d’Ivoire
Simple – Bradez –Ghana
Suddenly – D’Banj – Nigeria
Tchoucou Tchoucou – DJ Kedjevara – Cote d’Ivoire
Yori Yori – Bracket – Nigeria

North Africa song of the year
C’est chelou – Zaho – Algeria
Fel kam youm elli fato – Latifa – Tunisia
Habbeit – Sherine – Egypt
Ma tfakarnish – Hoda Saad – Morocco
Meme pas fatigue – Cheb Khaled – Algeria
Wayah – Amr Diab – Egypt
Zabana – Cheb Khaled – Algeria

Central Africa song of the year
C’est pas complique – Awilo Longomba – DR Congo
Chaise Electrique – Fally Ipupa – DR Congo
Djarabi – Barbara Kanam – DR Congo
Tout ca pour toi – Nadege Mbadou – Gabon
Show ce soir – Bisso na bisso – Congo Brazzaville
Yelele – X Maleya – Cameroun
Zoomer – Jumo Selesao – DR Congo

East Africa song of the year
Bread & Butter – Radio & Weasel – Uganda
Leo – A-Y – Tanzania
Pii pii – Marlaw – Tanzania
Sunshine – Nameless – Kenya
Tonight – Amani – Kenya
Where you are – Blu3 – Uganda
Yule Pale – Redsan – Kenya

Southern Africa song of the year
Can you feel it – The Dogg – Namibia
Estilo Xaxhale – Lizha James – Mozambique
Ingoma – Thandiswa – South Africa
Juju – Black Coffee – South Africa
Na sou ninguem ti – Ralph Anselmo – Angola
Presta Atencao – Perola – Angola
Umlilo – Big Nuz – South Africa

Best Artist based in Diaspora
K’Naan – Somalia
Kaysha – DR Congo
May7ven – Nigeria
Mimitah – DR Congo
Mokobe – Mali
STL – Kenya
Suzanna Lubrano – Cape Verde

Best Reggae song
Afralehu – Teddy Afro – Ethiopia
Agenze – Bebe Cool – Uganda
Africans – Nneka – Nigeria
Burning Desire – Wutah – Ghana
Carolina – Bobi Wine – Uganda
L’africain – Tiken Jah Fakoly
Uprising – Wyre – Kenya

Best Hip-hop song
Baby – Sarkodie – Ghana

Casamento – Dama do Bling – Mozamabique

Dreamer – STL – Kenya

Mpitse – HHP – South Africa

Leo – A-Y – Tanzania

Nekoleera gyange – Navio – Uganda

Safe – M.I – Nigeria

Best R&B/Soul song
Not the girl – Darey – Nigeria
Pii pii – Marlaw – Tanzania
Presta atencao – Perola – Angola
Sunshine – Nameless – Kenya
Wa mpaleha – Lira – South Africa
Where you are – Blu3 – Uganda
Yori yori – Bracket – Nigeria

Best Gospel/Religious song
Be my Lord – Noelie – Togo
Igwe – Midnight Crew – Nigeria
Kani – Wilson Bugembe – Uganda
Kokoroko – Kefee – Nigeria
My God is good – Joyous Celebration – South Africa
Nibebe – Rose Muhando – Tanzania
Nzambe alingi yo – Makoma – DR Congo

Best Pop song
Ce n’est pas la peine – La fuente – Gabon
Estilo Xaxhale – Lizha James – Mozambique
Heartbeat – Nneka – Nigeria
Preta Negra – Marllen – Mozambique
Leave me alone – Mimi – Ghana
Tonight – Amani – Kenya
Wayah – Amr Diab – Egypt

Best Afro-pop song
Bumper to bumper – Wande Coal – Nigeria
Gologolo – Echo – Ghana
In the music – Omawumi – Nigeria
Live my life – Winnie Khumalo – South Africa
Mmatswale – Malaika – South Africa
Msiniseme – Alikiba – Tanzania
Natamani kuwa malaika – Lady Jaydee – Tanzania

Best Dancehall song
Ayokyayokya – Cindy – Uganda
Bread & Butter – Radio & Weasel – Uganda
Free madness – Terry G – Nigeria
My type of guy – Buffalo Souljah – Zimbabwe
Shayo – Bigiano – Nigeria
Where my baby dey – Samini – Ghana
Yule pale – Redsan – Kenya

Best Alternative/Fusion/Rock song
Enter the Ninja – Die Antwoord – South Africa
Fairytales – 340ML – Mozambique
Fort Knox – Goldfish – South Africa
Rockstar – Jay N – Cameroun
Summerime – BLK JKS – South Africa
Tukuraka remix – Stewart Sukuma – Mozambique
Usinibore – Just A Band – Kenya

Best Dance song
Omo 2 Sexy – Justine – Nigeria
Juju – Black Coffee – South Africa
Solution – Abou Thioubalo – Senegal
Sans guebe – DJ Lewis – Cote D’Ivoire
Tchoucou Tchoucou – DJ Kedjevara – Cote d’Ivoire
Nka mo dira – Nutty Nys – South Africa
Zoomer – Jumo Selesao – DR Congo

Best Contemporary African song
Delestage – Meje 30 et Tshala Muana – DR Congo
Ingoma – Thandiswa – South Africa
Kuma kwa kie – Yuri da Cunha – Angola
Maria – Blick Bassy – Cameroun
Rebel woman – Chiwoniso – Zimbabwe
Seya – Oumou Sangare – Mali
Storia storia – Mayra Andrade – Cape Verde

Il existe plusieurs compétitions, concours, gala, et cérémonies qui célèbrent la musique africaine. Et cette fois,  après une consultation de 3 mois  auprès de divers intervenants des milieux culturels et musicaux africains,  c est le site Museke qui vient de lancer les MOAMAS. On y  retrouve 28 catégories avec 7 candidats dans chacune et même si on annonce que les nominés proviennent d’à travers l’Afrique, les candidats du Nigéria dominent largement avec 31 nominations, 22 pour l‘Afrique du Sud, 18 pour le Kenya, la République Démocratique du Congo en compte 15 puis suivent l’Ouganda 14 , la Tanzanie 13 et le Mozambique avec 10.   Comme rien n’est parfait dans ce monde, nous espérons simplement que les prochaines éditions tiendront compte d’avantage de la production et l’impact des artistes issus des pays francophones et lusophones et considérés world.   Ou sont So Kalmery, Oumou Sangare, Ba Cissoko, Mulatu Astatke, Tinariwen, Rokia Traoré, Amadou & Mariam, Bassekou Kouyaté, Lura, Staff Benda Bilili ou Konono #1 ?

Founded in 1994 by Ernest Adjovi, the Kora Awards are music awards given annually for musical achievement in sub-Saharan African,  they are comparable to the American Grammy Awards in intent.  But in reality,  things have not gone smooth for the African musical event. The  last awards were held in 2005 and after many years of doubts,critics and difficulties,  we’re relaunched from their ashes. The 2010 Kora awards we’re finally held on 4 April in Ouagadougou, the Burkinabe capital and was supposed to be a tribute of Africans to the pop star Michael Jackson who died in June, the chairman of the organizing committee Ernest Coovi Adjovi told APA.

Many artists who won an award we’re missing or just never showed up,  including  Senagaleses rap star Akon, who was sent a private jet and fully paid to perform that night but with his absence, it seems there is a lawsuit up in the air !In the Best Hip Hop artist or group category, when Smockey dedicated his Kora award to the late great Thomas Sankara, the controversy continued as his remarks were perceived to be a personnal attack on president Compaore’s  role in Sankara’s death.

Les Kora Awards étaient disparues depuis 2005 et furent finalement ressuscitées avec l’édition  2010  ayant lieu au Palais des Sports de Ouagadougou au Burkina Faso. Le plateau artistique prévu pour la circonstance était composé aussi bien des nominés des catégories non régionales  et ceux de la catégorie du meilleur artiste africain. Les têtes d’affiche annoncées étaient entre autres Akon, P-Square, Extra Musica, DJ Arafat & Débordo mais la plupart étaient absentes ou mise à l’écart. Malgrès la controverse, des artistes de tous horizons ont obtenus une reconnaissance pan africaine. Notons certains des grands gagnants de la soirée dont  Meilleur clip video : P.Square, Meilleur espoir : Becca,( Ghana), Meilleur artiste ou groupe religieux : Noelie,(Togo), Meilleur artiste ou groupe hip-hop : Smockey (Burkina Faso),  Meilleur artiste ou groupe traditionnel : Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba ( Mali ),  Meilleur artiste ou groupe reggae : Sasha Marley (Ghana), et King Wadada (Nigeria), Meilleur artiste ou groupe ragga : Chronik 2H( Sénégal) et Meilleur artiste ou groupe de la diaspora Caraïbe ou Europe : LA MC Malcriado et Meilleur artiste ou groupe de la diaspora Afrique ou Amérique : Alicia Keys et Kora Awards d’honneur : Cesaria Evora et Pierre Akendengué.

Selon le site web Afrik.com, ” sur la quinzaine de prix décernés, à peine le quart a-t-il été remis en mains propres aux artistes nominés. Une présence qui aurait illuminé la cérémonie, comme l’ont fait le musicien gabonais Pierre Akendengué, récipiendaire d’un Kora Awards d’honneur, le fantasque nigérian King Wadada, sacré meilleur chanteur de reggae, et l’impertinent rappeur burkinabè Smockey, pour son prix du meilleur artiste hip-hop. Ovationné par la foule, Smockey, devant Blaise Compaoré dont il n’a jamais manqué de critiquer la politique, a dédié son trophée à Thomas Sankara.

Gil Scott-Heron is an American  poet, musician, and author  known primarily for his late 1970s and early 1980s work as a spoken word soul performer. The music of his albums, most notably Pieces of a Man and Winter in America in the early 1970s, influenced and helped engender later African-American music genres such as hip hop and neo soul. Scott-Heron’s recording work is often associated with black militant activism and has received much critical acclaim for one of his most well-known compositions “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. On his influence, Allmusic  wrote “Scott-Heron’s unique proto-rap style influenced a generation of hip-hop artists”. A BBC documentary film called the Story of Gil Scott Heron exposes his story and the impact of his art on following generations. You can catch the 6 parts here.

In what will surely be regarded as one of the year’s best albums, Gil Scott-Heron’s I’m New Here is a project that’s been four years in the making. The result is an album that touches on many genres, from hip-hop and gospel to dubstep and blues. Above all, though, is the unmistakable sound of Gil Scott-Heron.  while I’m Here has been hailed as one of his best since the seventies, the first single Me and The Devil is dark,transcendent and relevant.  Gil Scott Heron is presently on a world tour from Europe to North America,  including large festivals such as Coachella, make sure to catch him and understand why some call him one of the godfather of hip hop.

Gil Scott-Heron est un musicien, poète  et romancier reconnu pour ses performances (sous influences musicales jazz, soul et funk) de chants scandés - spoken word - de la fin des années 1960 et des années 1970, beaucoup le considèrent comme l’un des pères du rap. Ses textes se nourrissent, entre autres, de la réalité de la rue, de « sa » rue, des problèmes politiques et sociaux dont lui-même souffre au quotidien. Il s’impose comme défenseur de la cause noire américaine dès la fin des années 60 en décrivant la misère, la violence et la drogue qui ravagent les ghettos, en critiquant la politique américaine (et notamment le gouvernement de Nixon), et étendra ses propos pour dénoncer l’Apartheid. Gil Scott-Heron est célèbre pour ses « chansons-poèmes » The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (La Révolution ne sera pas télévisée), The Bottle ou Angel Dust. Un film coproduit par la BBC intitulé The Story of Gil Scott Heron explique son cheminement dans l’Amérique raciste, sa vision révolutionnaire et son impact galvanisateur parmi la scène culturelle noire.

16 ans que Gil Scott-Heron n’avait pas sortie de nouvel album, c’est chose faite avec son nouveau projet “I’m new here“  dont le premier single “Me and The Devil”  avec le clip en conséquence : reste angoissant mais toujours aussi réussi et pertinent. En tournée mondiale présentement,   Gil Scott Heron se retrouve sur les plus grandes scènes du monde, se fait remixer par des jeunes musiciens influents ( XX )  et voit son influence musicale s’étendre vers une nouvelle génération de fans.