Tu Face, P-Square, Bigiano top nominees list of SMV Awards ‘09

Updated: Friday 26-06-2009

Banky WMultiple Award winning artiste Tu Face Idibia, alongside Bigiano, P Square, all top the list of nominees for this year’s edition of the Soundcity Music Video Awards, SMVA.

Weird MC, El Dee , Mo Hits, and Dipp are closely following the front runners however, and are poised to be rewarded in just as many categories in the race for music video excellence.

The list of nominees which also features Banky W, J Martins, Jimmy Jatt, Kel, Goldie, Dare Art Alade, Bouqui and a host of others, was released in Lagos earlier this week by the Awards Screening Committee.

This year’s recognition is more broadly contested as no single video by any solo, duo, or group of artistes featured in more than four categories of Awards, with the highest number of four nominations recorded by Tu Face for the video Enter the Place; Bigiano for the video Shayo; and P Square for the video Roll It.

Mr. Olamide Adedeji, the Awards Coordinator, said the categories of the Awards extend to every popular genre of music as appreciated all over Nigeria and indeed across Africa . The SMVA will also reward the producers and directors, who work behind the scenes to produce the videos that have put Nigeria on the global front; and the nominees list shows the viewing preferences of Nigerians and viewers of music videos across Africa ; and the entries were adjudged on the criteria of: originality, style, creativity, expression, and graphic quality.

According to Mr. Adedeji, there are 15 categories to be recognised and rewarded, including those for the Best Male Video; Best Female Video; Best Choreography; Best Special Effects and Editing; Best Duo or Group Video; Best Cinematography; Best Hip Hop; Soundcity Fresh Video; Soundcity Viewers Choice; Best Collaboration in a Music Video; Discovery of the Year; Hit Producer of the Year (as used in a music video); Best R&B/Pop Video; African Video of the Year; and the Best Overall Video.

The 2009 edition of the SMVA will be held exquisitely in two parts: the concert and the Awards proper. The Awards hold on Saturday, August 1, 2009 , at the Soundcity Music Centre, Ocean view Grounds, Victoria Island, Lagos , commencing with the red carpet event at 5:00p.m. prompt. The Urban Music Blast Concert will hold the previous day at the Soundcity Music Centre, Ocean view Grounds, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday, July 31, 2009, starting by 10:00p.m. Both events will be transmitted across Africa, the United States , the United Kingdom , and indeed to some parts of Europe . A remarkable collection of Nigerian Music stars have also been lined up to perform at the one-of-a-kind Awards.

According to Mr. Tajuddeen Adepetu, Executive Producer of the Awards, and CEO of Consolidated Media Associates, Soundcity’s parent company, “Soundcity is Nigeria’s first and foremost music, entertainment and lifestyle channel, and has evidently become Nigeria’s most-watched, most-admired, and perhaps most-copied music television channel in Nigeria, and we’re taking it all a step further with the SMVA, just in order to reward creativity.

Mr. Adepetu also said the Soundcity Music Video Awards remains the quintessential music video awards in Nigeria to recognize the efforts of artistes and video producers and directors whose strengths and abilities has been able to put Nigerian music videos on a global pedestal, especially as the Soundcity channel has become a remarkable entertainment destination since it was established in 2005.

Consequently, Don Jazzy, ID Cabassa, Dr. Frabbs, JJC Skills, Dapsey, and JSleek have also been nominated in the Hit Producer of the Year (as used in a music video) category.

In a manifestation of the continental scope of the SMVA, Nneka from Nigeria was nominated for her Heartbeat Video; as well as 340ML from Mozambique ; Pantsula from South Africa ; Asem and Okyeama Kwame from Ghana , in the African Video of the Year category.

The gospel according to Bro. Abdulkareem Abdullai

Bro. Abdulkareem AbdullaiTHE Nigerian music industry has become so interest
ing, such that artistes now produce religious songs. Bro Abdulkareem Abdullai hails from Ibadan where he started his music career about eight years ago.

He christened his band Almimtaz,and the band has been doing well at social and religious engagements within the city and environs.

Working on his debut album, Yoo Rorun as he’s popularly called said he discovered his talent way back and decided to go the way his heart dictates.

According to Abdullai, the get-go was not easy but presently, he gives thanks to God. The major challenge has been financial which he attributed to the poor pay for his kind of service.

He uses his song to propagate the gospel according to Islamic doctrine.

“I preaches good deeds in my music and I have a smooth relationship with my colleagues in the Christian fold,” he said.

Abdullai agrees with the fact that nothing good comes easy, so his advice for younger and upcoming artistes is to ensure doggedness and tenacity of purpose in the pursunace of their dreams inspite of threatening odds.