Winning Afrima ‘Life-changing’ Say Juma Jux, Folex As Stakeholders Meet In Tanzania

Fresh from their victories at the 9th All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) in Lagos, Nigeria, Tanzanian stars, Juma Jux and Folex, have described the platform as a major driver of global visibility for African creatives as industry stakeholders met in Dar es Salaam to review the impact of the awards on the region’s music industry.

The award-winning artistes shared their views during a media and stakeholders’ parley hosted by AFRIMA’s In- ternational Committee, which brought together artistes, regulators, music executives and the media to examine opportunities created by the awards and how East Africa can better harness them.

Speaking at the event held at Urban by City Blue Hotel, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Juma Jux, winner of East African Artiste of the Year (Male) at the 9th AFRIMA, described the experience as career defining. “Winning AFRIMA changed a lot for me. “People who never spoke to me before, now reach out.

Being on a stage watched in over 84 countries gives you a new level of visibility and responsibility,” Jux said. He also called for stronger partnerships between platforms like AFRIMA and government agencies in Tanzania.

“When institutions work hand in hand with platforms like AFRIMA, artistes benefit more through exposure, training and knowledge sharing,” he added. Also speaking, Tanzanian music director, Folex, who won Best Music Video of the Year for his work on Juma Jux’s Ololufemi video, said that the recognition had changed his life.

He revealed that the Lagos experience opened doors to new networks and learning opportunities. “Being nominated along- side international names such as Pink and TG Omori and then winning the award was life-changing for me. It showed that East Africans can compete and win at the highest level.

This award validates the work of music video directors in Tanzania and brings more confidence to our creative industry,” he said. Associate Producer of AFRIMA, Victoria Nkong, said that the awards had grown beyond a celebration of talent to become a strong development platform for African creatives.

“AFRIMA is designed to build an ecosystem for African music. Beyond the trophies, we focus on talent promotion, industry development and creating pathways that help African artistes move from local recognition to global visibility,” Nkong said.

She added that the engagement in Tanzania was important for deepening collaboration with government institutions and industry stakeholders.