Music star Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi walked away with the African Legend Award at the fourth annual All Africa Music Awards (Afrima) held at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday night.
For landing the gong, Tuku, who shared the continental award with Malian superstar Salif Keita, was presented with the coveted 23,9 karat gold-plated Afrima trophy.
Tuku’s manager Walter Wanyanya who accompanied the superstar to Lagos, has described the award as “a big honour.”
“This is a huge honour for him to receive this prestigious award. This just shows that when music is used as a positive tool for the benefit of those around you, one won’t need much to be heard, the music will speak for itself,” said Wanyanya.
He added that Tuku also went to Lagos as a special guest of the awards that are organised with the involvement of African Union.
“It is a great honour for him to have been invited as a special guest at such an event that celebrates Africans in this manner. We are after all one people and music unites us,” Tuku’s manager said.
According to Afrima organisers, Tuku was invited as a culture diplomat and dignitary alongside Zimbabwe’s deputy Tourism minister Anastacia Ndhlovu, South African Tourism minister Tokozile Xasa and Ghana’s Culture minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Agyare.
While it was pure joy for Tuku, the same could not be said of fellow Zimbabwean music star Jah Prayzah who lost the Best Male Artiste in Southern African Award to Southern rapper Emtee who recently attracted bad press after he posted a picture of his manhood on Instagram.
Other artistes who had been nominated for the same award were jazz legend Hugh Masekela, Aka, Nasty C, and Ndunduzo Makhathini, all from South Africa and Tay Grin from Malawi.
The third Zimbabwean in contention at the prestigious Afrima gongs was little-known Rue of VeryUs who was in the running for the Best Female Artiste in Southern Africa Award.
Rue, who had been nominated on the strength of her song titled Down, lost the award to South African star Thandiswa.
Other artistes who were up for the same award were Sally Boss Madam from Namibia as well as South Africans Babes Wodumo, Busisiwa, Lebo Segobela and Amanda Black.
Though artistes from the rest of Africa did well, Afrima 2017 was dominated by Nigerian acts.
Wizkid was the biggest winner on the night. He landed three major awards: Best West African Artiste award, The Song of the Year and the Artiste of the year, beating the likes of Davido, Runtown and Tekno in the process.
Tiwa Savage have emerged best female artistes in West Africa ahead of perennial rival Yemi Alade who collaborated with Jah Prayzah on the song Nzira Yerudo. Daily News
