The Vim Views & Versions - Blogs of a MIghTy African

A publicity push as this nears the end :-) ACCRA – JOHANNESBURG – NAIROBI – NEW YORK 8 AUGUST 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AFROTAINMENT MUSEKE ONLINE AFRICAN MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED Following a month of exhaustive deliberation with an esteemed Voters’ Academy made up of African DJ’s, bloggers, VJs and entertainment industry figures, the Afrotainment Museke Online African Music Awards are happy to announce the nominees for the second annual groundbreaking awards. The awards are aimed at giving fans across the continent and in the Diaspora a voice and a chance to contribute to the acknowledgement of some of the finest in African musical talent. Top Nominees Submissions were received from fans, artists, record labels and management representing the best and a lot of up-and-coming artists from around the continent and the Diaspora. Artists dominating nominations include South Africa’s Freshlyground , Nigeria’s 2Face Idibia , DRC’s Fally Ipupa and Senegal’s Viviane N’dour ...

What is vim? Learn about it here . Today is Ghana's Republic Day . Happy Republic Day to all Ghanaians. I took the opportunity to announce a piece of news I have been holding back a while. Besides, I've been meaning to blog (about something) but for some reason, the vim to do so hasn't been there. This blog post was coming though. July 1 is just a nice date lol. I have become a very "online" person, so it made some sense to use online media to make this announcement . Obviously, I had told my family, close friends, neighbours and others who I just had to tell the news already. So, this is how it all went down, with the following info filtering in through tweets, facebook and google buzz posts. For the past 10 years, my address has always been a US one. First Syracuse, then to Cambridge (MIT) and then to Stanford. It's time to change that . In fact, I bought a one-way to come to the US after high school in Presec with the goal of going to MIT, the "best en...

I told you I was go ing to blog in Twi. Here is the first post. I translated the Museke Online Africa Music Awards (MOAMA s) press release into Twi. More coming. Check out MOAMAs.com today. Mo ns ɛm pa! 1 Obirade 2011 ACCRA-JOHANNESBURG-NAIROBI "Museke Ɔnlaen Abɔdin ma Afrika Adwontofo" 2011 Wɔnnfa wɔn ndwom mbɛdi akan - Ɛyɛ Museke, Inc. anigye paa sɛ wɔbɛbɔ Museke Ɔnlaen Abɔdin ma Afrika Adwontofo (MOAMAs) a ɛtɔ so mmienu ho dawuro. Abɔdin yi bɛwie Ɔbese wɔ 2011 afe yi mu. Wɔresrɛ Adwontoni, ne wɔn nnansimufoɔ sɛ wɔnfa wɔn ndwom a wɔpɛsɛ wɔdebɛsi akan wɔ abɔdin yi mu. Ndwom a wɔdebaa adwa mu na wɔbɔɔ wɔ efidie nyinaa so firi da kan wɔ afe 2010 mu kɔ si da kan wɔ afe 2011 no na ɛbɛtumi asi akan. Te sɛ abɔdin kan a wɔyɛɛ no afe 2010 no, abato ho ekuo no bɛyɛ wɔn a wɔn aben wɔ Afrika ndwom mu, wɔn a wɔyɛ Afrika ndwom ho adwuma, ɛne wɔn a wɔbɔ ndwom wɔ efidie so ɛne nhyiamu. MOAMAs nhyehyɛmu nyinaa wɔ hɔ ma Afrika adwontofo a wɔwɔ Afrika mman nyinaa ɛne wɔn a wɔwɔ...

Culled from Museke.com's Father's Day Post #happyfathersday! We asked our Facebook fans and Twitter followers - "What are your favorite African songs about fathers?" Based on their responses and our own collection on Museke.com, here are some African Fathers' Day songs for you. We did the same for #happymothersday - Check out our Mother's Day post . Bread Winners is definitely our favorite. The song by ProVerb , featuring Hip Hop Pantsula which celebrates great fathers.Both are South African rappers. Some of the lyrics are "A lil something for the Fathers/ That know how to be a man and work harder/ To give something to the Fam/ And would rather make sure the kids are fed dinner/ I'm talking to the real bread winners/ yeah you.." The official song for today was Jayso 's single called My Daddy Is A Champ . This song was recorded, produced & written by Jayso and features his 6 year old daughter, Vanessa. This is a gift from Jay...

In honour of Africa Liberation Day which is today may 25, I want to post this poem to pay tribute to where my heart calls home - Africa. #tobeAfrican is to love Africa, and love our sweet motherland. Happy #AfricaDay It takes a village to raise a child It takes a male child to start a village It takes a female child to educate them all In Africa One man’s inactive car Is many other men’s community service Because you will need others When your own car breaks down in Africa It doesn’t fall into winter And then spring into summer People may be raining away But life and warmth never run dry in Africa Tangerine tree, football field, sugarcane seller Very different but similar Who needs Mapquest? In directing and navigating All landmarks are on deck, in Africa What if the peanut seller is sick with malaria? There are a hundred and one people Minding and carrying their own business on the streets Of Africa who would give you some help Cock-a-doodle-doo, hold up, kokrokoo… Meat that has been ...

I am posting this through Museke.com. From their Mother's Day post, here are some African Mothers' Day songs for you. Mama was sang by BrendaFassie , which remembers her mother, sang in the early 90's. She asks her to rest in peace and that she will always be in her heart and asks God to bless her soul. Given that Brenda passed away in 2004, I am sure her son, Bongani, will sing this for her too. The following song was suggested. Too late for Mama is by BrendaFassie . The song is very popular and was also sang by Alicia Keys at the opening kickoff concert at the Mzansi Mundial - World Cup held in South Africa in June 2010. Mama is by Nigeria's Bantu ft Ayuba. He thanks his Mama - "For all the efforts, For all the sweat, For all the comfort" and how her love is so unconditional. Asa also joins in the fun with So Beautiful from her debut album. She sings "Queen of my life you are so beautiful mama; You’re beautiful". Check out ...

Of course, there is vim in the subject so it made me VIM too. Culled from Museke.com "I spoke and the whole world felt it" . This is the first line on Blitz the Ambassador's Soul Rebel track. I've known Blitz as far back as the days when he was called Bazaar and was featuring on Deeba's hit "Deeba" rapping in English. When he featured on Obrafour's Who Born You by Mistake, I fell in love with his flow. And then he came to the US, and was reborn as Blitz the Ambassador. I remember when he would come perform in Boston while he was a student at Kent State in Ohio and I would go see him. I would be the only Ghanaian sometimes while he made white people nod their heads to his lyrics. I knew he was going to be special. He had to be. His music and messages were way too important for him not to be relevant. "Freedom is more than a rap song, you got the facts wrong. My rap is too heavy for backpackers to strap on" . We've seen many African art...