Shaggy, Davido, Rema, Yemi Alade, Diamond Platnumz and Azawi are among the 50 performers expected to stage live performances during the Trace awards happening today (Saturday) in Kigali, Rwanda.
Trace, a global music powerhouse and Afro-music tastemaker marks its 20th anniversary this year. To commemorate this, it will launch the Trace Awards & Festival, a stunning new live Awards ceremony and festival celebrating the creativity, cool and confidence of African and Afro-inspired music and culture around the world.
The awards gala to be held at the BK Arena in Kigali will focus a global spotlight on musicians, creators, entrepreneurs and achievers from across Africa and the African diaspora.
Trace will recognize a broad range of music genres from Afrobeat to Dancehall, Afro-pop, Mbalax, Amapiano, Zouk, Kizomba, Genge, Coupé Décalé, Bongo Flava, Soukous, Gospel, Rap, Kompa, R&B, and Rumba, while saluting artists in a number of cultural/lifestyle categories.
Organizers say the gala event will be a 5-hour live televised spectacular music ceremony to be preceded by a 2-day cultural festival designed to entertain and empower music creators and fans.
Fifty artists from across the African continent and beyond are already converging in Kigali for this inaugural event.
Other names on the live performance list include Nigeria’s Mr Eazi, BNXN as well as South Africa’s Nomcebo, Soweto Gospel Choir, Benjamin Dube and Blxckie.
Tanzania will be represented by Diamond alongside Zuchu and Jux, while Kenya will have Janet Otieno and Nadia Mukami.
From Ghana is Black Sherif, Juls and Camidoh.
Hosts Rwanda are represented by Bruce Melodie, Bwiza Chriss Eazy.
Beyond Africa, names like Ronisia (France), The Compozers (UK) and Rutshelle Guillaume (Haiti) are on the lineup too.
Jamaican-American reggae rapper, singer, and songwriter, Shaggy, of the Strength of A Woman, Boombastic and It Wasn’t Me fame is expected to perform, according to Rwanda’s The New Times publication.
Shaggy recently collaborated with Rwanda’s Bruce Melodie on the Remix of Funga Macho. We can’t confirm whether the two artistes will perform this collab, but Trace Mziki posted a video teaser of Shaggy singing the song with the caption “Something is coming”.
Uganda’s Azawi and Levixone who are nominated in the Best Newcomer and Best Gospel Artiste categories respectively are performing. Britain’s Got Talent 2023 finalists, the Ghetto Kids, are also nominees for Best Dancer.
The awards ceremony which will be preceded by a 90-minute long red carpet experience will be hosted by Nigerian singer D’Banj and Angolan model Maria Borges.
The Trace Awards (with 25 categories and 100 nominees) celebrate the achievements and excellence of more than 150 performers, producers, DJs, writers, composers, directors, established artists and rising stars, as well as their management and labels.
WHERE TO WATCH THE AWARDS LIVE
The Trace Awards will broadcast live on Trace TV, radio and digital channels and on global streaming platforms, national terrestrial TV and satellite channels. The viewership and social interaction is expected to exceed 500 million fans in 190 countries.
To follow the red carpet and awards ceremony LIVE, tune in to the different Trace channels – Trace Africa, Trace Urban, Trace Naija and Trace Mziki, starting at 9pm East African Time (EAT).
There will also be a live stream on YouTube (Trace Music)
