Airtel to Host Africa’s Galaxy of Stars At MAMAs 2010

Following the announcement of the 2010 edition of the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs) with Airtel, the telecom firm’s operation in Nigeria, Zain Nigeria has expressed its commitment to and support for the Award Celebrations.
 The company said it is “extremely delighted to play host again to the biggest and the best celebration of African artistes and music”, pledging to do whatever it may take to ensure that guests from all over the continent and indeed across the world have a wonderful experience in Lagos come December 11.
 Speaking at a press conference that attracted leading artistes in Nigeria and MTV Africa senior officials in Maryland, Lagos, the Chief Operating Officer of Zain Nigeria, Deepak Srivastava said that it will be an understatement to say the company is very excited that MAMAs is coming to Nigeria this year.
He added “all of us at Zain Nigeria are extremely delighted to play hosts again”.
Srivastava stated that the fact that MAMAs is returning to Nigeria after it made its debut in 2008 at the Velodrome, National Stadium, in Abuja, is eloquent testimony to the importance of Nigeria in Africa-both in telecommunications and in music and entertainment.
While noting the fact that Nigerian artistes have dominated the Awards since its inception, Srivastava said the company will continue to provide support for Nigerian artistes by throwing its full weight behind initiatives that will help discover and nurture musical talents across the country.
 “Airtel Nigeria is a brand strongly associated with music in terms of creating excellent platforms for the identification, development and exposure of talents. I want to assure you all that we will continue to support the music industry in Nigeria and also provide a solid ladder for young and talented Nigerians to climb to stardom,” said Srivastava.
The 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMA) in Lagos, Nigeria will be held at the EKO EXPO Hall, Lagos on 11 December 2010, focusing the spotlight on Africa’s most outstanding musicians, from the heart of one of the continent’s most vibrant cities.
Conceived in 2008 as the ultimate celebration of African contemporary music talent, the MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel provides a major promotional platform for the African music industry, championing, supporting and empowering African talent by broadcasting their music around the world via MTV’s global multimedia network. 
The awards celebrate contemporary African and international genres loved by the youth and young adults across sub-Saharan Africa including Hip Hop, Hip Life, R&B, Afro Pop, Afro House, Kwaito, Boomba, Bongo Flava, Coupé Décalé, Dancehall, Soul and Rock.  
The inaugural MAMA was held at the Velodrome, Abuja in 2008, while October 2009 saw the awards move to Nairobi, Kenya, with performances from 2Face (Nigeria), Amani (Kenya), A.Y. (Tanzania), Blu3 (Uganda), Brickz (South Africa), Da LES (South Africa), D’Banj (Nigeria), Fally Ipupa (DRC), HHP (South Africa), Lizha James (Mozambique), M.I. (Nigeria), Mo’ Hits Allstars (Nigeria), Nameless (Kenya), Pype (Nigeria), Samini (Ghana), STL (Kenya), Lira (South Africa), Wahu (Kenya) and Zebra & Giraffe (South Africa), alongside international stars Wyclef Jean and Akon.
 
Past winners have included 2-FACE (Nigeria), Nameless (Kenya), Samini (Ghana), Wahu (Kenya), HHP (South Africa), D’Banj (Nigeria) and Patricke-Stevie Moungondo (Congo Brazzaville).