2010 is going to be a big year for Abolore Akande, the Alapomeji man. Tradition, his third album, was released in December 2009 and he's already out with a follow-up, called Versus. The album will feature 9ice versus a different artiste on each track.

The Nigerian superstar is mostly known for his famous hit, Gongo aso. 9ice has a lot to say in the albums, especially given what he's gone through recently. He divorced his wife, Toni Payne and they've been stories of him 'stealing songs'. He did feature Asa on Pete Pete, which is quickly becoming a Yoruba classic, from his Tradition album.

Some of the tracks on Versus are Sarafawe - 9ice Vs M.I, Loni Ni: 9ice Vs Dagrin, Atamatase 9ice VS Mode 9. Click the links to listen to them.

Mr. Music man, Kwadwo Antwi, has always had great music videos. In the first music video from his latest Mwaah album, Adiepena, he features renowned Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson, in it.

Kojo Antwi features Ghanaian actress, Yvonne Nelson in his newest video, Adiepena. This is not the first time Ghanaian actresses have played major roles in Ghanaian music videos. The late Suzzy Williams featured in VIP's continental hit, Ahomka womu as well as Reggie Rockstone's Channel O award-winning video for Fame bone kye me (Ah) featuring K. K. Fosu. I'll like to see more of these where Ghanaian music and movies combine. We've seen the musicians contributing greatly to soundtracks and it would be great to see the actors and actresses play important roles in the music videos. It will go hand in hand to make both industries more popular in Africa and beyond.

Ishmael Adjetey Osekre is taking his poetry skills into the music industry and is bent to breathe new styles into the game. Armed with excellent writing skills, sick rhymes, word flow and a guitar, Osekre's Vibe is taking on 2010.

After releasing an anthology called Verses for the Masses, Osekre has embarked on a music project. The Poet, Host, Writer, Speaker, Lyricist, Producer, is the band leader for Verses for the Masses, based in New York City. You can watch and listen to his music on his Myspace and Youtube.

The nominees for the Ghana Music Awards 2010 are out and Sarkodie, Ayigbe Edem, Wutah, 4x4, Bradez, Becca, Ohemaa Mercy and Obrafour lead the number of nominations for the awards ceremony slated for April 10. Music fans have asked many questions about them and asked why artistes like Samini, Ofori Amponsah and Kwabena Kwabena missed out. CharterHouse, the organizers, released a press statement responding to various criticisms as well. In this post, I'll offer thoughts on who should win or who would win when the winners are announced next month.

You can click the songs and artistes below to learn more about them.

Sénégalese music star, Youssou N'dour is out with a new album this month called Dakar-Kingston. It was released on March 8, 2010. The 13-track album was recorded in a legendary studio in Kingston, Jamaica in July 2009.

Youssou worked with the talented producer, Tyrone Downie, an ex-member of Wailers, which collaborated with other artists such as Tonton David and Tiken Jah Fakoly. Youssou also worked with Earl guitarist “Clouded” Smith, who in particular worked with Burning Spear, Bunny Wailer or max Romeo. With brass, percussion, bass and guitar lines all from Jamaican sources – the album was recorded at Kingston's Tuff Gong studios with Dean Fraser on saxophone, Michael Fletcher on "dancehall" bass and Earl “Chinna” Smith on guitar.

Kwabena Kwabena - Game Changer for African Music

Kwabena, Kwabena will be making his first appearance in America in New York City, on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at the Park Central Ballroom courtesy of Boogie Down Nima Productions.

If there is a face to African indigenous soul music movement, it is probably Kwabena Kwabena. The respect he receives from other artists has been driven by his uncompromising success as well as from the unselfishness he has shown in support of other up-and-coming singers and musicians. A tirelessly touring artist, Kwabena, Kwabena vocals can be heard on countless albums by other artists such as Daddy Lumba, Okyeame Kwame , Tinny , Kontihene , Castro, and Obrafour. That peer love appears to only be exceeded by the near fanatical following he has among a surprisingly large fan base, both old and young, making him a sort of Highlife soul royalty. Kwabena, Kwabena has dominated African radio and he is quickly changing the game and the sound of African Highlife music.

The Best of New Nigerian Hip-Hop - OUT NOW!!

“Knighthouse have just confirmed that they are Nigeria’s premier hip hop production label”

“Copped it…now gonna listen to it for like a month straight”

“I don't know where to begin. This album has set my i-phone on fire for real. It's amazing quality and i know where all that hard work has been going. Keep it up KH you guys are awesome. 5* from me men.”

“Just heard d snippets... One word... Hawttttt!!! Proud of u guys... Grabbin my copy noooow”

“At last! Hallelujah..Allahu Akbar…It is here”

The above are just a few comments from people that have bought and listened to the album.

Sarkodie, Ayigbe Edem, Wutah, 4x4, Bradez, Becca, Ohemaa Mercy and Obrafour lead the number of nominations for the Ghana Music Awards slated for April 10. You can click the songs and artistes below to learn more about them.

Ameyaw Debrah reports - The nominees for the 11th Annual Ghana Music Awards were announced last night at an event that brought together industry players, keen to know who gets nominated for what in the foremost award for music in the country. The well attended event that saw performances from the likes of Kwabena Kwabena, Gyedu Blay Ambolley, Celestine Donkor, Ohemaa Mercy and Wutah ended with the big reveal of nominees. Sarkodie, touted as the fastest rapper in Ghana led the pack with 8 nominations plus one for his collaboration with Ayigbe Edem and Kwaw Kesse on ‘You dey Craze’. Edem also had 6 other nominations with Wutah following with 5 plus a nod for best male vocal performance for PV, one half of the duo. 4x4 and Bradez both had 5 tallies.

Here is there complete list of nominees:

Artist of the year
4x4
Wutah
Ohemaa Mercy
Sarkodie
Becca
Bradez

Our friends @ZimboJam have fed us information about what's happening on the Zimbabwean music scene. They publish the Power FM Top 20 songs every week. Museke brings you a list of African songs that have been getting major airplay in Zimbabwe this year.

The PowerFM Top 20 Countdown is presented by DJ Chilly and Hazvinei Sakarombe.

In no particular order, here's a list of popular songs at the artists behind them.

Zvandaona - Thando
Mzanzi House - DJ Cleo
2 Chete - Leonard Mapfumo
Team Hombe - Stunner
Takakoresa - Stunner

I've known Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi for a long time since he started working on this documentary on Hiplife. Made a couple of trips to his place to help him with some Twi translations, etc, that was fun. The much anticipated documentary, HomeGrown: HipLife in Ghana, is finally out and it is on tour. The documentary follows the career of arguably Ghana's most famous hiplife musicians, VIP. It starts as early as the time they are underground. Eli had been living in Ghana the whole time and has a lot of exclusive footage. You can't miss this. Catch it one of these days.

HomeGrown: HipLife in Ghana is a feature-length documentary about the Ghanaian HipLife group V.I.P. (Vision In Progress), and the film documents ten years of their journey from the ghetto in Accra to their first international tour. They grow from being teenagers with a shared dream to musicians with fans around the wor...ld.