Malawian/Swedish pop duo The Very Best has been nominated for the prestigious Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards, which is one of the finest honours in the world of music.
The Very Best, which consists of Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya and Swedish producer Johan Hugo, have been nominated in the ‘Best African Act’ category.
The 17th Annual MOBO Awards will take place on November 3 at Echo Arena in London.
The internationally renowned MOBO Awards are held annually in the UK and over the past 17 years, MOBO has showcased and honoured many of the music industry’s finest talent from around the world with performances and attendances from A-list artists including Janet Jackson, Destiny’s Child, Dionne Warwick, Justin Timberlake, Tina Turner, Dizzee Rascal, Marley Family, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Usher and late Amy Winehouse to name a few.
His idea to purchase a bicycle in 2008 led the production duo Radioclit to invite Esau into their studio to collaborate on the mix-tape that would launch their career.
The Very Best are fresh from a US tour where they promoted their new album MTMTMK.
In a press release, Johan Hugo noted: “If The Very Best won a MOBO Award, it would be the biggest international success to date for Malawian music. To be nominated for MOBO with people like Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Rihanna is a dream come true for us.
Also nominated in the ‘Best African Act’ category are Nigerian superstars D’Banj and P Square, South African singer Spoek Mathambo, DRC musician FallyIpupa, Angolan star Cabo Snoop, Kenyan group Camp Mulla and Malian duo Amadou and Mariam.
Founded in 1996, the MOBO Organisation was established by Kanya King MBE to recognise the outstanding achievements of artists who perform music in different genres.
Over the past 17 years, MOBO has played an instrumental role in elevating black music and culture to mainstream popular status in the UK.
