The evening of Sunday, June 30, was fraught with expectation as 2baba was among the artistes nominated for this year’s BET awards.
While the awards ceremony was holding in faraway Los Angeles, USA, another major event was going on right here on our own shores.
The launch of a brand new TV station, EbonyLife TV, was going on at the Expo Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.
The new television station founded by popular talk show host, Mo Abudu, also recognised various personalities for their contributions to their different fields of endeavour.
Among the awardees was none other than 2baba who was honoured for his contributions to African music.
He was the only contemporary musician honoured among the legends of King Sunny Ade, Victor Olaiya, Ebenezer Obey, Onyeka Onwenu and Joke Silver who also received awards on the night.
An elated 2face who was joined onstage by his protégé, Dammy Krane, thanked the organisers for honouring him and congratulated them on the successful launch of the television station.
“I am very glad to be honoured like this. I don’t really know how to put it in words but EbonyLife TV is just starting and they have already given me an award…it means we are going to be together all the way. We started together and we will be always together.
“I’m happy for EbonyLife TV. It is a great achievement to float a television station of this standard and I congratulate them on this feat. This is also another voice for Africa and a space for us to keep telling African stories in our voice and style.
“Nobody can tell our stories better than us so we must continue to evolve ways to showcase Africa to the world in our real colours. EbonyLife TV is our own and I am very happy to be here,” he said.
2baba later climbed the stage to introduce Dammy Krane for his performance and the young man treated the audience to a very mature rendition of his popular tracks accompanied by a live band.