Togolese musician receives “Best African Rocker’’ award

[Im The Truth]

Togolese musician receives “Best African Rocker’’ award


APA - Lome (Togo) Togolese singer Jimi Hope received the New York-based International Music Promotion’s 2007 “Best African Rocker” Award Thursday in Lome.

Togolese Communication and Culture minister Corneluis Aidam gave the prize to Hope on behalf of the government.

“The prize is very important to me. It marks the beginning of recognition and is for all the advancing Togolese. We have to pray for other artists to come back with other awards,” Hope told APA.

IMP awarded the prize to Hope on 4 August 2007 in the United States after a series of concerts in seven US cities.

Jimi Hope, whose real name is Koffi Senaya, was born on 12 October 1956 in Lome.

The prize consecrates the 40-year career of “Africa’s first rocker”, who has authored a dozen albums with a rock-and-blues blend.

“We now want to celebrate talents, potentials and open the future of all the Togolese artists based on a role model,” the Culture minister said.

Aidam took advantage of the occasion to extend the government’s gratitude to Aaron Lordson alias Aaron Sissi, another Togolese artist based in Spain.

Aaron took part in the “Hijos de Babel” contest open to Spain-based artists from across the world performing different rhythms and songs.

Sissi received the Prize from the programme’s promoter, Spanish television TVE.