The Sowetan reports that Nigeria is to host this year's Kora All Africa Music Awards 2008, for which entries close on 15 April. Categories for the awards are best male artist, female artist and best group, with the “Best Artist or Group of the Continent” receiving a US$ 1 million prize. Says the article:
"The Koras promote African artists and their music to a global audience, unite Africans through celebration of excellence in music, produce a world-class, live performance and television broadcast show that portrays the best of Africa and the diaspora to the rest of the world.but no details are given as to how this laudable (and, some would say, nearly impossible) objective is to be achieved through the hosting of seminars. Nonetheless, Afro Leo purrs with pleasure to see the protection of copyright being mentioned in the promotional literature: it shows how much prominence the unauthorised exploitation of others' works has now obtained.
They also protect the intellectual property of artists and prevent unauthorised copy and reproduction of materials, unite and connect Africans in a spirit of unity through hosting of seminars by industry professionals ..."
