AFRIMA Awards: Stonebwoy scores Hat-Trick

Ghanaian dancehall artiste, Livingstone Etse Satekla, aka Stonebwoy has for the third time won the Best African Raggae Dancehall Artiste of the year at the 2019 edition of the All Africans Music Awards (AFRIMA). 

He won it for the first time in 2015, then in 2018 and 2019.

For this year’s win, he was in the same category with the likes of Daphe (Cameroon), Navy Kenzo (Tanzania) Patoranking( Nigeria) Paris (Nigeria) Rosa Ree (Tanzania) Rudeboy (Nigeria), Shatta Wale (Ghana) Timaya (Nigeria) Winky D (Zimbabwe).

The sixth edition of the All Africa Music Awards, a project of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the International Committee of AFRIMA, was made possible with support from Nigeria.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Federal Government would remove all impediments to the growth of the creative industry, as part of the ongoing efforts to encourage the sector’s growth of the.

He said: “As we head into 2020, the successful commercialization of the creative industry is our number one priority. It will create jobs, reduce crime, be a major source of foreign exchange and thereby reduce our dependence on oil, rebrand our country internationally and boost our GDP.

“So, we in government are tackling all impediments to the industry thriving. We are making cheaper and longer-term financing available for the industry, especially for infrastructural projects, like concert halls across the six geo-political zones of the country, as recently announced by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria,” he said.

The minister said government was providing the necessary framework through the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to ensure that listeners of music pay for it.

In addition, he said internet data must be cheaper and owners of content must make more money from the use of their works.

“The other big issue for commercialisation is the digital economy – data must be cheaper and owners of content must make more money from the use of their works.

“I am sure you have been following the announcements by my colleague, the Minister of Communications, on this,” he said.

Other 2019 AFRIMA winners were African Fans’ Favourite, Mafia – Mohamed Ramadan (Egypt); Best African Act in the Diaspora/Best African Artist, Duo or Group in African Electro, ‘Akouna’ ft. Afrotronix & Vox Sambou – Manno Beats (Chad); and Best African Collaboration – ‘SMA’ ft. Rowlene – Nasty C (South Africa).

The rest are Best Artist, Duo in Group in African Jazz, African Time – Owen & Tiana (Gabon); Best Artist, Duo or Group in African Reggae, Ragga or Dancehall, Tuff Seed – Stonebwoy (Ghana) and Best Artist, Duo or Group in African R&B & Soul, ‘TV Room’ ft. Garry Mapanzure – Hillzy (Zimbabwe).