P-Square win $1m Africa music awards
HONOUR has come the way of Nigerian musicians, as R&B duo, P-Square, Paul and Peter, were crowned Africa's best in the recent Kora music awards held in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou.
The programme was attended by some 3,000 people including the country's President, Blaise Compaore
According to the Agence France Presse (AFP), the twins Paul and Peter who form P-Square beat Senegalese group, Black Diamond, Angola's Paul G and homegrown Amety Meria to scoop the top award, which is worth $1million, on Sunday.
The singer from Cape Verde, Cesaria Evora and Gabon's Pierre Akendengue picked up lifetime achievement awards, and homage was also paid to the late Michael Jackson at the ceremony held in Ouagadougou's sports stadium.
The only black mark on the evening was the absence of Senegalese-American R&B star Akon who, despite being offered a private jet and $150,000, did not make the trip to the Burkina Faso capital..
Kora awards promoter, Ernest Adjovi, deplored the singer's absence and apologised to the "15 million Burkinabes and the billion Africans" watching the ceremony.
No fewer than 100 television channels in 22 countries broadcast the ceremony live, organisers said.
Other successes on the night included Becca (Ghana) for best African prospect, Chronicle 2h (Senegal) for best reggae artist and Alicia Keys, also absent, who was crowned best African-American artist of the Diaspora.
Artists from 24 African countries took part in the competition, whose awards are decided through a share of public and jury votes.
The Kora awards were created in 1996 and the ceremony took place for the first time outside South Africa
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