My Naija News - Celtel sponsors MOBO’s Best African Star Award category....Tu Face, D’Banj gun for award

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Celtel sponsors MOBO’s Best African Star Award category....Tu Face, D’Banj gun for award

Written by News Hound

Thursday, 06 September 2007

Celtel International has announced its sponsorship of the 2007 edition of the “Best Music Star - African Category” of the Music of Black Origin (MOBO) awards.

The award ceremony to be held in London on September 19, 2007 will give African music acts including Nigeria’s Hip Hop rave, Tu Face Idibia, and D’Banj (Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo), the opportunity to share global music limelight with several popular acts such as smash hit “Umbrella” star, Rihanna, American
rapper, 50 Cent (Curtis James Jackson III), and Senegalese-American hip hop and R&B singer, Akon, among others.

Music acts nominated in the African award category include Wambali Mkandawire (Malawi); Bebe Cool (Uganda); Kabelo (SA); Eric Wainaina (Kenya); Jua Cali (Kenya); Tu Face Idibia (Nigeria) and D’Banj (Nigeria).

Some of the artists nominated in the other categories include Akon, Rihanna, Kanye West, Joss Stone, 50 Cent, Beverley Knight and Sadie Ama.

MOBO Awards were created to honour best artists who perform music of black origin irrespective of their race or nationality.

Speaking on Celtel’s sponsorship, Celtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, Adebayo Ligali, said “Celtel is delighted to sponsor such a major international music event. By showcasing music of African origin, MOBO Awards contribute to the promotion and reinforcementof the black music heritage which is the core of our African identity.”

Music lovers worldwide can vote for their favourite Best African Musician as well as for other nominees in the other award categories at the award website,
www.mobo.com

Past winners of the MOBO awards include Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jay Z, Sean Paul, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lemar and Youssou Ndour. Last year’s Best African Act winner was Batman Samini from Ghana.

Celtel’s extensive music sponsorship program include sponsorship of the prestigious Pearl of Africa Music Awards in East Africa, the Sounds of Wisdom (Sauti za Busaara) festival in Zanzibar, the Premier Music Awards in Sierra Leone and Gabon’s Gabao Hip-Hop festival, among others.

Celtel also sponsors a number of music promotion and talent development programmes including Star Search in Zambia and Idols West Africa (in Nigeria).

The MOBO Awards, held annually in the UK, was established in 1996 by Kanya King.

About The MOBO Awards

The MOBOs (Music of Black Origin) awards were started in 1996. Since then the annual awards have grown and are now internationally recognised as one of the
premier music awards. The awards are handed out to winning artists at a glittering ceremony featuring live performances of top RnB and world music act. It is held every year in London, usually at the end of September or early October.

MOBO has raised the awareness and importance of urban music in today's society, paving the way for many other outlets of urban music and unsigned talent and also transforming the reputation of urban music as a non-mainstream genre into a thing of the past.

MOBO celebrates culture as well as music and continues to strive to provide for its audience with the introduction of new award categories each year. In 2005 for the first time the MOBOs included an award for best African music artists – won by Youssou Ndour in 2005 and Batman Samini in 2006. The entrants for the African Musician of the Year award in 2006 were Jose Chameleone (Uganda), Batman Samini (Ghana), Lebo Mathosa (South Africa), P Square (Nigeria) and Tony
Tetula (Nigeria).

For more information on the MOBO Awards, please visit: www.mobo.com

About Celtel Nigeria Limited

Formerly known as Vmobile Nigeria, the company was established in 2000, by a group of institutional and private investors as well as three state governments.

The company made history on August 5, 2001 by becoming the first telecoms operator to launch commercial GSM services in Nigeria. In May, 2006 Celtel acquired a majority stake in the company and re-branded the company to Celtel in September. Celtel in Nigeria is now an important part of Celtel’s pan-African operations spanning 14 countries and serving more than 15 million customers.

The company is pursuing an aggressive network rollout as well as a quality and customer service upgrade in the quest to realise its vision of ‘Making life better’, not just for its customers but for all Nigerians.

The network, which currently covers over 600 towns and 8000 communities across the six geopolitical zones of the country, scored a series of many other "firsts" inthe highly competitive Nigerian telecommunications ma rket.

First to introduce toll-free 24-hour customer care line-111 First to launch service in all the six geo-political zones in the country First to introduce N500 recharge card First to commence emergency service (Celtel 199).

First to introduce monthly free SMS First to introduce monthly airtime bonus First to commence 3G/HSDPA Trial Test First to introduce Unity or flat tariff (same tariff across networks).

First to introduce free Sunday Calls Offer.

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Comments (4)

	1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 08-05-2008 11:59 - Guest
	Reply. Please, don't be offended by my question. Don't Celtel sponsor up coming artistes? What you guys are doing about our music stars is good. Keep it up. But you have to look down a bit; 'cos there are other good up comingartistes who have not been heard just because of no sponsor.

	2. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 31-05-2008 01:55 - Guest
	mr I am currently in the process of producing a talent show with a different, it is aim at the urban music sector and will also help to assist a mentoring through music programme to help vulnernable youth living in todays world. We need sponsors to come forward to help our cause and would be most grateful if you just heard us out, please contact me with any relevant information possible thank you .

	3. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 19-11-2008 18:21 - Guest
	can you please help what can i do to be a music star

	4. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 26-11-2008 10:32 - Guest
	Female am a gosple singer i need a sponsor to enable me spread the word of God to others.

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