Entertainment
Afrobeats gets a place on America Music Awards
The American Music Awards (AMAs) has introduced a category dedicated to recognising Afrobeats.
The new category is called ‘Favourite Afrobeats Artist’.
It is the first award in a major US award show dedicated to recognising African artistes that have transcended the African borders with the now globally recognised genre.
Fans of Afrobeats artistes can vote for their favourite stars who have been nominated. Unfortunately, for the category’s debut, no Ghanaian act was nominated.
The nominees for the 2022 AMA ‘Favourite Afrobeats Artist’ are; Burna Boy, CKay, Fireboy DML, Tems, and Wizkid.
Tems has another nomination in the ‘Collaboration of the Year’ category for her collab on Wait For U with Future and Drake.
Meanwhile, Afrobeats is not the only music genre to have a spot in the AMAs.
The K-Pop genre also landed a category. The category is named ‘Favourite K-Pop Artist’. Fans of K-Pop also now have the chance to vote for their favourite artiste or group.
The K-Pop artists nominated are Blackpink, BTS, Seventeen, Tomorrow X Together and Twice.
BTS is also nominated in the ‘Favourite Pop Duo or Group category.’
This comes weeks after calls for The Recording Academy, organisers of Grammy, to add Afribeats as a category to the awards scheme.
In September, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Recording Academy said there is a possibility the event will in the near future have a category for Afrobeats.
Speaking to the media on his arrival in Ghana, Harvey Mason Jr, noted that The Recording Academy recently had a meeting with leaders of the Afrobeats community including producers, songwriters, executives and others to learn more about the genre – and will continue to do so.
“We just talked about what are the different sub-genres (of Afrobeats), the needs, the desires, and my goal is to represent all genres of music including Afrobeats at the Grammys, but it has to be done properly,” Mr Mason said.
Meanwhile, in March 2022, Billboard created the U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart – a standard record chart ranking the 50 most popular Afrobeats songs in the United States weekly.
Source: www.myjoyonline.com
Ghanaian gospel artiste, Jesse Delali, has released his latest single, ‘Hallelujah’, a powerful praise anthem that urges believers to lift the banner of worship and give glory to the King of kings.
Rooted in gratitude, surrender, and heartfelt adoration, ‘Hallelujah’ is more than a song; it is a declaration of God’s greatness and a reminder that He deserves the highest praise not only because of His mighty works, but simply because of who He is.
The upbeat tempo contemporary church praise jam blends energetic rhythms with a worshipful message, making it a perfect sound for Sunday services, personal devotion, and moments of collective celebration in the presence of God.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the song, Jesse Delali describes ‘Hallelujah’ as a call for every believer to exalt God regardless of circumstances.
“God deserves our praise at all times. ‘Hallelujah’ is a declaration of gratitude and surrender-a reminder that our worship is not only tied to what God does for us, but who He is,” he explains.
The production of ‘Hallelujah’ was handled by renowned music producer Junior Boateng of Newgenn Studios, who crafted a rich and energetic soundscape that complements the song’s celebratory message.
The official music video, shot and edited by Kwame Aboagye of Envision Media, brings the song’s message to life through captivating visuals recorded live in Ottawa, Canada that reflect the joy, passion, and spiritual atmosphere behind the praise anthem.
With ‘Hallelujah’, the drummer turned singer continues his mission of creating music that inspires faith, encourages worship, and draws hearts closer to God, following his recent release of ‘For All You’ve Done’
Renowned Ghanaian highlife musician, Pozo Hayes, has received an electric mobility scooter from the Nat Arthur Foundation –Tower of Hope to enhance his mobility, independence and overall well-being.
The presentation, which brought together family members, friends and well-wishers, showed the Foundation’s commitment to supporting vulnerable individuals and improving their quality of life.
The Spokesperson for the Foundation, Ms Philomina Kuntum Blankson, said the donation was part of the Foundation’s mission of restoring hope and transforming lives through acts of compassion and community support.
According to her, the Foundation recognised the challenges faced by some vulnerable persons and remained committed to providing practical assistance to improve their daily lives and preserve their dignity.
Ms Blankson said the foundation has over the years undertaken various charitable interventions aimed at improving lives through healthcare support, community development projects and humanitarian assistance.
“The donation to Pozo Hayes forms part of its broader efforts to promote dignity, inclusion and social support for persons facing mobility and other life challenges,” she added.
Receiving the scooter, Pozo Hayes expressed gratitude to the Nat Arthur Foundation and all those who contributed towards the initiative.
He described the gesture as life-changing, saying the mobility scooter would greatly improve his movement and enable him to carry out his daily activities with greater ease and confidence.
The veteran musician also commended the Foundation for its kindness and concern for the welfare of vulnerable members of society.
Dignitaries who attended the event were Prophet King Solomon, Nana Offeh Sebede3 Adeamuoduro Trimud3 Kaakyire Kwame Appiah I, Bosomtwe Asaman Manhene Benkumhene/Detiesohene of Lake Bosomtwe, associates of the musician.
