Kelly Rowland, Cassette and Asa warm up for the MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain

Johannesburg/Kinshasa/Lagos/Nairobi, 3 November 2008:  Charismatic R&B star Kelly Rowland will be jetting into Abuja, Nigeria on 22 November to perform at the first ever MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain. Joining Rowland on stage at The Velodrome, Abuja for MTV’s joyous celebration of African music and artists will be captivating South African rockers, Cassette, and Nigerian soul diva, Asa.

As one third of Destiny’s Child, one of the best-selling female musical groups of all time, Kelly Rowland has brought her dulcet tones to millions of fans, performing on television and concert stages worldwide and gracing music videos that demonstrate her astonishing vocal range.  Having experienced #1 hits, multi-platinum albums, industry accolades, won Grammys and other awards, Rowland continues to delight with her solo work, enjoying major success with albums, Simply Deep and Ms Kelly Deluxe (2008) and hit single releases such as international smash “Work” and current chart burner, “Daylight” featuring Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes.

Despite a hectic schedule, this most un-diva-like diva still finds time to act as special ambassador for MTV’s charitable Staying Alive Foundation, visiting grassroots AIDS projects worldwide and promoting AIDS prevention and awareness.

Dynamic South Africa rock outfit Cassette combines catchy pop-rock with outrageous live gigs and dance-floor-packing energy that justify their nomination in the MAMA Best Live Performance category.  The 5-piece band, who have toured internationally, opened concerts for Pink, and achieved airplay from Joburg to London and San Francisco, consists of flamboyant vocalist Jon Savage, Jane Breetzke (keyboards and backing vocals); Andrew Wessels (drums), Marc Bentel (guitar) and Nathan Waywell (bass).  Despite citing innumerable influences from Coldplay to The Beatles to the Rolling Stones to Radiohead, Bob Dylan and the Kings of Leon, Cassette possess an edgy rock vibe all their own, best seen in debut album Welcome Back to Earth which won them Best Rock Album at the 2007 South African Music Awards (SAMAs).

Dazzlingly talented Asa is a contender in both the Best Female and Artist of the Year, rounding out an incredible year of international success for the Paris based artist.  The MAMAs rounds out a phenomenal year for Asa, in which she has toured Europe, gigged in Tokyo and seen massive airplay for her reggae-inspired hit single, Fire on the Mountain.  Singing in English and Yoruba, Asa’s sound falls somewhere midway between pop and soul, with heartstopping melodies that complement this artist’s active social conscience.

Rowland, Cassette and Asa join previously announced performers The Game, D’Banj, Kwaw Kese and Professor J and other artists (still to be announced) in the lineup at the inaugural MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain.

The awards will be televised on MTV networks around the world from 29 November 2008.

The winners of the MTV Africa Music Awards with Zain will be unveiled at The Velodrome, Abuja, on Saturday, 22 November 2008 and broadcast on MTV base (DStv Channel 322, GTV Channel 40), partner networks and terrestrial channels RTGA (Democratic Republic of the Congo), TV3 (Ghana), NTV (Kenya), AIT (Nigeria), STV (Nigeria), TBC (Tanzania) and WBS (Uganda), from 29 November 2008.

To vote for your favourite artist or video, please go to mama.mtvbase.com.  Music fans with WAP/GPRS enabled phones may also vote at m.mama.mtvbase.com (standard internet charges apply).  Voting closes on Tuesday 18 November 2008.  For details of SMS voting go to mama.mtvbase.com.

MTV Networks Africa is a pan-African music and entertainment platform which is responsible for broadcasting Viacom music, kids and entertainment channels in sub-Saharan Africa.  The network distributes MTV, VH1, MTV base and Nickelodeon.  Part of MTVNI’s Emerging Markets group, MTV Networks Africa reaches in excess of 50 million TV viewers in sub-Saharan Africa via a combination of pay-tv and terrestrial distribution.  The network also includes the dynamic online portal www.mtvbase.com.

MTVNI’s Emerging Markets group is one of the fastest growing regions in MTVNI’s portfolio of multi-platform businesses. The Emerging Markets group manages 26 television channels, 24 websites, one broadband channel and three mobile TV channels encompassing the MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, VIVA and Comedy Central brands in Central & Eastern Europe, Russia, Africa and the Middle East. MTVNI is owned by Viacom Inc (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

Zain is a leading emerging markets player in the field of telecommunications aiming to become one of the top ten mobile operators in the world by 2011. Zain was established in 1983 in Kuwait as the region’s first mobile operator. Since 2003, it has grown significantly becoming the 4th largest mobile network in the world in terms of geographic presence with a footprint in 22 countries spread across the Middle East and Africa providing mobile voice and data services to 56.3 million active customers (as at 30 September 2008).