EASTERN AFRICA SUBMITS HIGHEST ENTRIES FOR AFRIMA

The 2017 edition of the All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, is already in the works to becoming an epoch-making awards event after receiving nearly 5,000 entries from African music artistes and music professionals at the close of the two-month entry submission process.

The African Union and the International Committee of AFRIMA had announced the
2017 AFRIMA Call for Entries giving opportunity to African music artistes, record producers, songwriters, video directors and music journalists to enter their qualified works on the AFRIMA website www.afrima.org and the awards social media platforms.

AFRIMA International Advisor and member of the International Committee, Mr. Rikki Stein
According to AFRIMA International Advisor, Mr. Rikki Stein, “The overwhelming response to this call putting the total number of entries received for 2017 at 4,816 is an astronomical increase from the 2,714 number of entries received in 2016 which amounts to a whooping 77.25% increase compared to last year. Analysis reveals the regions with the highest entries as Eastern Africa, with 47% of the total entries and Western Africa, with 30%. This immense progress is a positive marker and has elicited satisfaction from the African Union, the International Committee of AFRIMA, the Regional and Country Directors of AFRIMA.

The overwhelming response to this call putting the total number of entries received for 2017 at 4,816 is an astronomical increase from the 2,714 number of entries received in 2016 which amounts to a whooping 77.25% increase compared to last year. Analysis reveals the regions with the highest entries as Eastern Africa, with 47% of the total entries and Western Africa, with 30%. This immense progress is a positive marker and has elicited satisfaction from the African Union, the International Committee of AFRIMA, the Regional and Country Directors of AFRIMA.

President/Executive Producer AFRIMA Expressing his excitement at the high number of entries in 2017, the AFRIMA International Advisor and member of the International Committee, Mr. Rikki Stein stated: “This is tremendous news, indicative of an increasingly healthy music industry across Africa, particularly from a creative perspective. AFRIMA is lugged in to the aspirations of the African continent, providing a platform for excellence in the field of music and a source of inspiration and encouragement for its associated fields of endeavour; songwriters, producers, sound engineers, distributors,
publicists, marketers, photographers, ideographers, stylists, journalists, bloggers, DJs and on and on”.

The former friend and Manager to frican music legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti also added that, “African artists are making their mark in the wider world, acting as ambassadors of their countries and their culture, the eyes and ears of that wider world are opening and turning towards Africa as the source of much more than entertainment. As will be evident amongst AFRIMA nominees and eventual winners, they provide an antidote to negativity and cynicism, offering a healing form for ailments of heart and spirit; what Fela used to call “The Underground Spiritual Game.”

Expressing his excitement at the high number of entries in 2017, the Stein stated: “This is tremendous news, indicative of an increasingly healthy music industry cross Africa, particularly from a creative perspective. AFRIMA is plugged in to the aspirations of the African continent, providing a platform for excellence in the field of music and a source of inspiration and encouragement for its associated fields of endeavour; songwriters, producers, sound engineers, distributors, publicists, marketers, photographers, videographers, stylists, journalists, bloggers, DJs and on and on.”

To follow the close of entry submission is the screening and adjudication processes which ends on August 8. The 13-man AFRIMA Jury will review the 4,816 entries to determine the works of African talents that are adjudged on merit to be on the AFRIMA 2017 Nominees List.