African music and creativity are about to take centre stage as Nigerian artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist D’Banj, along with Angolan supermodel Maria Borges, gear up to host the highly-anticipated inaugural Trace Awards and Festival at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday night.
The excitement in the air is palpable as the inaugural Trace Awards in Africa promises to be a spectacular event, celebrating the boundless creativity, exceptional talent, and influential artistry of African and Afro-inspired musicians. The event will be a live extravaganza, poised to showcase the excellence and diversity of Afro-centric music in genres ranging from Afrobeat, dancehall, hip-hop, and Afro-pop to mbalax, amapiano, zouk, kizomba, genge, coupé décalé, bongo flava, soukous, gospel, rap, rai, kompa, R&B, and rumba.
This unprecedented event will see the entire African continent, from north to south and east to west, represented by its finest artists, cementing its status as a hub for cultural and musical diversity. Africa's influence will resonate not only across the continent but also throughout the global music scene.
Nestled in the heart of the lush Rwandan landscape, Kigali, known for its pristine cleanliness and picturesque surroundings, sets the perfect stage for this groundbreaking event. The city's meticulous cleanliness, serves as an ideal backdrop for the celebration of African music and culture.
At a press briefing Trace co-founder and chair Olivier Laouchez, said the event marks the channel's 20th anniversary.
“We are bringing together the best of African entertainment because we want to showcase the diversity of African origins. This is going to be one of the most extraordinary events in Africa,” Laouchez said.
Competing in a staggering 22 award categories are platinum-selling artists hailing from more than 30 countries in Africa, South America, the Caribbean and Europe. With an incredibly diverse array of nominees, the Trace Awards promise to be a grand celebration of unity through music.
South African artists have made a resounding mark on the nominations list, with hip-hop sensation K.O leading the way with an impressive trio of nominations, including Best Male, Song of the Year, and Best Collaboration. The South African line-up continues to shine with Musa Keys (nominated for Best Live and Best Collaboration), and Blxckie (up for Best Music Video). In the Best Newcomer category, Pabi Cooper faces stiff competition in what is undoubtedly one of the most closely watched awards of the night.
Blxckie, who said the city reminded him of his hometown Durban, also said he was excited to meet new people.
“I’m out here and I’m going to perform Sika. That song is just in Zulu, but I was told it’s one of the biggest songs out here. It’s amazing to know that the music transcends language barriers. Awards aren’t my thing, I think I’m more about the music than the awards but this is more of an experience and the nomination is a big thing. I’m looking forward to my performance and to experience Rwanda for the first time,” Blxckie said.
A cacophony of French, Portuguese, Kinyarwanda and Swahili filled the conference venue as artists and their managers arrived. The afternoon was filled with impromptu performances but it was the four members of the Soweto Gospel Choir who got everyone on their feet as they burst into song and dance on stage.
“It’s overwhelming to be here, we’ve met so many different artist and it’s good to interact and learn from our brothers and sisters. We communicate through music and with the different cultures and dialects in South Africa it’s easy for us to adapt. It’s like a big party for us to be here and we can’t wait for our performance on Sunday,” said Phumla Nkhumeleni of the Soweto Gospel Choir.
Just over the border in Eswatini, Uncle Waffles has secured a coveted nomination in the Best DJ category, flying the flag high for the region and showcasing the true spirit of African collaboration.
The Best Gospel Singer category features a fierce face-off between South Africa’s beloved Benjamin Dube, Kenya’s soul-stirring Janet Otienao, Uganda's talented Levixone, KS Bloom from the Ivory Coast and Nigeria's own Moses Bliss. With such a dynamic line-up, the night promises to be nothing short of electrifying.
The Trace Awards and Festival is set to be an extraordinary celebration of African and Afro-inspired music, a night where boundaries are blurred and creativity knows no limits.
The Trace Awards will broadcast live on Saturday night on Trace TV channels, radio and digital channels and on global streaming platforms, national terrestrial TV and satellite channels.
Inaugural Trace Awards set to ignite Kigali
Image: Instagram/ Blxckie
African music and creativity are about to take centre stage as Nigerian artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist D’Banj, along with Angolan supermodel Maria Borges, gear up to host the highly-anticipated inaugural Trace Awards and Festival at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, on Saturday night.
The excitement in the air is palpable as the inaugural Trace Awards in Africa promises to be a spectacular event, celebrating the boundless creativity, exceptional talent, and influential artistry of African and Afro-inspired musicians. The event will be a live extravaganza, poised to showcase the excellence and diversity of Afro-centric music in genres ranging from Afrobeat, dancehall, hip-hop, and Afro-pop to mbalax, amapiano, zouk, kizomba, genge, coupé décalé, bongo flava, soukous, gospel, rap, rai, kompa, R&B, and rumba.
This unprecedented event will see the entire African continent, from north to south and east to west, represented by its finest artists, cementing its status as a hub for cultural and musical diversity. Africa's influence will resonate not only across the continent but also throughout the global music scene.
Nestled in the heart of the lush Rwandan landscape, Kigali, known for its pristine cleanliness and picturesque surroundings, sets the perfect stage for this groundbreaking event. The city's meticulous cleanliness, serves as an ideal backdrop for the celebration of African music and culture.
At a press briefing Trace co-founder and chair Olivier Laouchez, said the event marks the channel's 20th anniversary.
“We are bringing together the best of African entertainment because we want to showcase the diversity of African origins. This is going to be one of the most extraordinary events in Africa,” Laouchez said.
Competing in a staggering 22 award categories are platinum-selling artists hailing from more than 30 countries in Africa, South America, the Caribbean and Europe. With an incredibly diverse array of nominees, the Trace Awards promise to be a grand celebration of unity through music.
South African artists have made a resounding mark on the nominations list, with hip-hop sensation K.O leading the way with an impressive trio of nominations, including Best Male, Song of the Year, and Best Collaboration. The South African line-up continues to shine with Musa Keys (nominated for Best Live and Best Collaboration), and Blxckie (up for Best Music Video). In the Best Newcomer category, Pabi Cooper faces stiff competition in what is undoubtedly one of the most closely watched awards of the night.
Blxckie, who said the city reminded him of his hometown Durban, also said he was excited to meet new people.
“I’m out here and I’m going to perform Sika. That song is just in Zulu, but I was told it’s one of the biggest songs out here. It’s amazing to know that the music transcends language barriers. Awards aren’t my thing, I think I’m more about the music than the awards but this is more of an experience and the nomination is a big thing. I’m looking forward to my performance and to experience Rwanda for the first time,” Blxckie said.
A cacophony of French, Portuguese, Kinyarwanda and Swahili filled the conference venue as artists and their managers arrived. The afternoon was filled with impromptu performances but it was the four members of the Soweto Gospel Choir who got everyone on their feet as they burst into song and dance on stage.
“It’s overwhelming to be here, we’ve met so many different artist and it’s good to interact and learn from our brothers and sisters. We communicate through music and with the different cultures and dialects in South Africa it’s easy for us to adapt. It’s like a big party for us to be here and we can’t wait for our performance on Sunday,” said Phumla Nkhumeleni of the Soweto Gospel Choir.
Just over the border in Eswatini, Uncle Waffles has secured a coveted nomination in the Best DJ category, flying the flag high for the region and showcasing the true spirit of African collaboration.
The Best Gospel Singer category features a fierce face-off between South Africa’s beloved Benjamin Dube, Kenya’s soul-stirring Janet Otienao, Uganda's talented Levixone, KS Bloom from the Ivory Coast and Nigeria's own Moses Bliss. With such a dynamic line-up, the night promises to be nothing short of electrifying.
The Trace Awards and Festival is set to be an extraordinary celebration of African and Afro-inspired music, a night where boundaries are blurred and creativity knows no limits.
The Trace Awards will broadcast live on Saturday night on Trace TV channels, radio and digital channels and on global streaming platforms, national terrestrial TV and satellite channels.
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