Heavy K, Mi Casa receive belated AFRIMA trophies

Unable to attend the last AFRIMA ceremony held December 2014, Heavy K 'Drumboss', real name Mkhululi Siqula, had to settle for the delayed honour. ‘I just thank AFRIMA and fans across Africa,’ he said. ‘It means a lot to me. I regret not being at the last edition but I will be there at the AFRIMA 2015 edition in November 13 - 15, Lagos.’

Colin Mokgaotsi, label manager of South African band Mi Casa also received an award on behalf of the band at the stakeholders’ conference. The band won the Best African Electro category for ‘Jika’. ‘Thank you for recognising our work,’ Mokgaotsi said, ‘and thank you for bestowing us with an award. We also thank all Africans that voted for Mi Casa. We love you.’

The AFRIMA stakeholders’ conference was convened to inform the media, partners and the South African music industry on the awarding process and also to remind all of the closing date for submission of entries, July 20. Before the November event proper, a number of projects will be embarked on by AFRIMA including the Africa Music Summit; and the AFRIMA Music Village.

Tshedi Mholo of South African pop band Malaika, who attended the conference as a panellist, said: ‘I am happy to be on AFRIMA panel. I have seen awards across Africa but AFRIMA is more than an award. It is a platform to sell our story, our uniqueness, and our culture as an Africa to the rest of the world.’