Tu Face for MTV awards in Portugal

Source: nigeriafilms.com

NIGERIAN hip hop superstar Tu Face Idibia is to add to his catalogue of triumphs by representing Nigeria at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2005 in Lisbon on 3 November 2005.

Tu Face is the first ever Nigerian to be nominated and one of just five African artists who will be competing for the first ever African award at the MTV Europe Music Awards: The title of 'Best African Act' is up for grabs - the very first time MTV anywhere in the world has created an African 'gong' for one of its Awards ceremonies.

Commented Alex Okosi, Vice President & General Manager, MTV Base: "This is a landmark year for Africa: first, MTV launched its first ever African channel, MTV base, and now it has created this milestone award to recognise the artistry, creativity and passion of African musicians. We have so much respect for 2-FACE and for all he has achieved so far in Africa - we are delighted that this Award nomination will bring his name and music to a broader audience - the global stage of the MTV Europe Music Awards - with more than one billion viewers!'

The five African contenders for the Best African Act Award at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards are: Tu Face Idibia (Nigeria), Zamajobe (South Africa), Kaysha (DRC), Kleptomaniax (Kenya) and 02 (Angola).

Things are going well for the crowd-pleasing former boy band singer-songwriter Tu Face Idibia. With superstar status in his home country, the young Nigerian R&B exponent has long outgrown his early days with Nigerian group Plantashun Boyz and cemented his solo popularity and cross-age appeal across Africa with his catchy, lyrically inspired, heartfelt songs, sung in a mixture of English, local dialect and pigin. Truly iconic status was conferred by the massive success of his huge hit, African Queen-a soulful anthem to the beauties of African women, which won fans across the African continent, and was subsequently chosen as the first ever song ever played on pan-African music channel and MTV's 100th channel, MTV base. After major critical and financial success for his debut album, Face 2 Face, which has sold in excess of 2 million copies, a mantelpiece full of awards, and collaborations with Wyclef Jean and Beenie Man, Idibia's eagerly-awaited second album is due out in late 2005.

A former South Africa Pop Idol contestant, female vocalist Zamajobe has barely put down the microphone since being voted off the contest in 2003. Having come in the top 10 of Pop Idols, Sithole went on to confound the critics by being nominated as Best Newcomer in the 2005 South African Music Awards (SAMAs) and issuing her own 2004 album entitled, Ndawo yami - an extraordinarily confident blend of jazz, blues, soul and gospel. Most of the songs on the album are self-penned by the 20-year old Zamajobe, with tracks like Magic, Hey Hey Hey and title track Ndawo Yami dominating the South African radio airwaves in 2005.