BRYMO - I WILL NOT HOLD IGBOS RESPONSIBLE FOR AFRIMA'S DEMISE

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By Adeniyi Onaara

Before the general elections, Brymo dropped the Igbo tribe and its presidential candidate from the race, resulting in a severe backlash.

Olawale Ashimi, commonly known as Brymo, a self-proclaimed first-sonic musician, has spoken out about how he felt after losing the All Africa Music Awards. (AFRIMA).

The 8th edition of the music award, dubbed the ‘Teranga Edition,’ was moved from November to January 12-15, 2023, in Dakar, Senegal, and saw Brymo lose the prize categories for ‘Best Songwriter of the Year,’ and ‘Best Album of the Year.’

In an interview with The Cable, the singer was asked how he felt about losing the honors, and he blamed it on the turmoil that surrounded the time of the nomination.

“What did you make of it, seeing over 40,000 people suddenly signing this petition to strip you of your nominations for the 8th AFRIMA over a social media discussion?” the interviewer said. “Did the award make contact with you?”

Brymo said that he was looking forward to winning. He went on to say that his loss had nothing to do with the petition or the problems that preceded it, but was the consequence of a combination of factors.

“I think I’d announced months before that I was no longer a musician and that I was instead a sonic artist,” he explained. It meant that I was no longer eligible for awards given to musicians. However, AFRIMA selected my work ‘Esan,’ so I forgot about it all and focused on the future.

But in truth, I’m no longer a singer so I didn’t want it.

“There’s a songwriting category but they shouldn’t nominate sonic artists. I was looking forward to it anyway, and then something happened. I got into trouble talking about Biafra leaving and staying.

So I stayed out of AFRIMA and didn’t attack the award afterward. Not winning had nothing to do with the southeast fracas. Everything only just came together.”

Many people chastised the artist in the run-up to the 2023 general elections for making anti-Igbo statements, claiming that they did not deserve to run for president.

The statements drew backlash from other celebrities and fans, but Brymo stuck to his guns, retweeting the same series of tweets that got him in trouble in the first place.

Then, Charles Ogundele began a petition requesting for the alternative singer’s candidacy to be canceled.