African queens big up for African king 2Face |21 October 2006

Born Innocent Ujah Idibia in Nigeria, the country that gave the world male pop star Seal and female jazz and R&B singer Sade, 2Face, who has won the hearts of millions of people worldwide, is expected here on Thursday October 26 and will perform two days later. The show will kick off at 9.30 p.m. and tickets cost R75 if bought in advance and R100 at the door on the night of the concert.

Explaining his stage name 2Face, the artiste said that it refers to the outside and inside.
“When you see me, you see the outside but when you get to know me, you see the inside,” said the first ever recipient of the Best African Act award at the MTV Europe Awards in Lisbon , Portugal in 2005.

Journalist AAdeshina Oyetayo wrote at that time that although 2Face has not finished his education and even though he may not have the oratorical prowess of a consummate public speaker, he has achieved a feat that may take many graduates of music years to accomplish.

Already a superstar in Nigeria, versatile artiste 2Face started doing music professionally in 1997 and his massively popular song African Queen was the first ever video to be played on Pan African channel MTV Base.

When asked by a journalist who inspired him to make the song African Queen which is in the movie Phat Girlz, 2Face replied:

“It’s a general song and not directed at any particular person. I can sing it to my mum, sing it to my sister, sing it to anybody. The song is just my own way of paying my tribute and respect to the African woman and at the same time celebrate their strength. But it can also be related to anybody in the world, it’s just about respect for the African woman. I am from Africa that’s why I chose to call it African Queen. To me African women are very warm and they know how to take care of their family. I wanted a way to say I love you because I love each of them.”

The biggest musical revelation who came out of Nigeria, 2Face has collaborated with Beenie Man from Jamaica, Reggie Rockstone from Ghana, Sound Sultan and faze from Nigeria, Wyclef Jean.

The artiste, who says that he writes and sings about things that are real and is influenced by people, has also won the MOBO (Music Of Black Origin) Awards 2005 held in the UK to recognise leading black musicians; the Channel O Music Video Awards 2005 for Best Male Video and Best African Video (both for African Queen); KORA Awards 2005 for Revelation of the Year;  Hip Hop World Awards 2006 – a Special Recognition Award; Nigeria Entertainment Awards 2006 – Special Recognition Award; Nigeria Breakthrough Artiste of the Year; and African Musical Awards 2006 for Favourite African Artiste.

Blessed with a mellifluous voice that stirs emotions like on the multi-award-winning track African Queen, 2Face released his debut album in 2004.

G. G.