Afropop Worldwide

Check out the 17th Annual MOBO Awards taking place on Saturday, November 3rd at the Echo Arena Liverpool! MOBO stands for Music Of Black Origins, which means that this awards ceremony specifically accredits artists from any and all races and nationalities who perform black music. MOBO was started by British philanthropist (and MBE) Kanya King and BMX kingpin Andy Ruffell. In a refreshing deviation from our classic but hardly international Grammys, MOBO nominations not only include a category for Best International Act, but also include awards for Best African Act and Best Reggae Act.  On top of this, MOBO lets fans and viewers vote for the artists who have been shortlisted at mobo.com. Which we think is pretty awesome. Check out some of our favorite nominees! For the Best African Act- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE7c0WYIAJs We have a LOT of love for The Very Best. After catching them live this summer, we said that they were “an innovative and distinctly contemporary act that blends a southern African musical sensibility with a clubby techno-pop vibe.” http://youtu.be/UKfwSFI8LhQ Another strong contender is Spoek Mathambo, a South African musician, producer and DJ. His genre-hopping compositions are near perfect examples of Afro-futurism in full flight, and while his work can sometimes be more conceptually than musically driven, Mathambo nevertheless continues to impress us with his innovative style http://youtu.be/j1uCp8yKjgs Blasting to international prominence on the strength of his killer 2009 single "Windek," Cabo Snoop represents the full force of Angolan kuduro. http://youtu.be/S050_LhjqYI By this point, Amadou and Mariam are Afropop royalty. Originally from Bamako, the blind husband and wife brought the beauty of Malian guitar to a new generation through their internationally acclaimed work with Manu Chao. Some of the nominees for Best Reggae act include best-selling stars like Mr. Vegas http://youtu.be/IPJAOWMRnpI and Popcaan http://youtu.be/5zCMIS5UmUI So- Who do you think should win?