France: Uganda's Maurice Kirya scoops RFI Music prize

Maurice Kirya, lauréat du Prix Découvertes RFI 2010

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http://telechargement.rfi.fr.edgesuite.net/rfi/anglais/audio/modules/actu/201009/Boda_boda_music.mp3

By RFI

Ugandan musician Maurice Kirya has been named 2010 winner of the RFI Discoveries Music Award. The jury, presided over by French hip hop star Passy, chose Kirya ahead of ten finalists from across Africa. The 26-year-old will be presented with his prize on November 6 in Chad, where he will also perform.

Over 500 musicians from all over Africa had entered in the competition.

LISTEN Maurice Kirya   17/09/2010 by Billie O'Kadameri   Listen (02:54)

The RFI Discovery Award is organised in partnership with CulturesFrance, the French Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

LISTEN Boda boda, Maurice Kirya   17/09/2010   Listen (03:13)

Kirya wins the prize money plus a grant worth 18,000 euros to develop his career and will stage performances in Paris plus a year-long tour of Africa.

"I've lost my voice right now," he says. "I screamed so much that even when they were telling me on the phone I stopped hearing because I was screaming so loud. Everyone in the neighbourhood came running and asking 'are you OK?' I ran around and screamed around with my little brother. It was beautiful."

For more music and vidoes of Kirya, see RFI's coverage here.

Source:Uganda's Maurice Kirya scoops RFI Music prize | RFI http://bit.ly/cqOrb2

(Yimber Gaviria, Colombia)