Kisumu band Owiny Sigoma has bagged a nomination in the
Best African Act category of this year's MOBO awards alongside nine other top African
acts.
Owiny Sigoma joins Naija acts Wizkid, Seun Kuti, D’banj,
South African Liquideep and Spoek Mathambo, Senegalese Cheikh Lo, Malian Fatoumata Diawara, Vieux Farka
Toure and Smod.
MOBO is Music Of Black Origin Awards held annually in the
United Kingdom to recognise artists of any race or nationality performing black
music. They will be held in Glasgow on October 5.
Owiny Sigoma is amade up of Kenyan duo Joseph Nyamungu who
plays the nyatiti and Charles Owoko. They collaborated with with London-based
musicians to come up with a self-titled album – a collection of gloriously
hypnotic Afro grooves symbolic of the true culture clash between the Luo and
London. The other members of the band are made up of Jesse Hackett (keys),
Louis Hackett (bass), Sam Lewis (guitar), Chris Morphitis (bouzouki/guitar) and
Tom Skinner (drums).
The band meet in 2009 via a collaboration project set up by Hetty Hughes and Aaron
Abraham, co-founders of a voluntary organisation called Art of Protest
established in order to promote local musicians and rappers. This musical
effort resulted in an album.
Also nominated in this years MOBO awards are Adele, Beyonce,
Bruno Mars, Nikki Minaj, Rihanna, Jessie J Adele, Chipmunk, Chris Brown, Snoop
Dogg and Wiz Khalifa among others.
This year’s edition will also feature a special performance
from legendary group, Boyz II Men, to celebrate 20 years of music.
