Makhtar Diop named AFRIMAs country director for Senegal

Diop’s appointment, made public this week, forms part of AFRIMAs’ vision to deepen its impact within the western African and other Francophone regions within Africa.

In his new role, Diop will lead, build and maintain partnerships and relationships among the stakeholders, including government and policymakers, the entertainment and creative industry, and the media and fans of African music. He will be accountable in his country office for AFRIMA’s strategic partnerships, leading the consolidation and development of its programmes.

“We are pleased to have Diop manning the fort for AFRIMAs in Senegal as the country has a very rich heritage of African music and culture which needs to be preserved and promoted,” AFRIMAs executive producer and president Mike Dada said. “That is also at the core of AFRIMAs’ operations. With Diop, we believe AFRIMA’s presence is well represented, and the overall vision of the AU, AFRIMAs and every single African, will be achieved by the efforts to be yielded in Senegal.”

The AUC’s head of culture division Angela Martins said: “We are always working to expand the fold and ensure that all the right hands are on deck to help us achieve this African dream. We welcome Diop and we are confident his selfless efforts will help uplift the creative scene in Senegal, and across the continent.”

Born in 1983, Diop built his legacy within the Senegalese music scene as event organiser, promoter and record label executive. With his Soubatel Music Group, he has successfully managed and developed big names including the Malian superstar Sidiki Diabaté, and has worked with other great talents such as Pape Diouf, Wally B Seck and Youssou N'Dour, among others.

According to the AFRIMAs, his appointment consolidates his trailblazing effort within the music industry in Africa.

Meanwhile, the 2022 AFRIMAs will now be held from 8 to 11 December. A special announcement is expected to be made on the host country and location for the awards on 30 September.

This year’s AFRIMAs will feature a four-day fiesta aimed at celebrating Africa, recognising talents and expanding the economic frontiers of the culture and creative industry on the continent. It will commence with the welcome soirée, followed by the AFRIMA Music Village, the host city tour, Africa Music Business Summit, and the exclusive nominees’ party before concluding with the live awards ceremony broadcast to over 84 countries around the world.

Fans of African music superstars can take part in the awarding process by voting for their preferred nominees in each of the 39 categories. The voting portal is available on the AFRIMAs website and it will be closed on 10 December.