Achebe, ‘Africa’s most influential celebrity’
He is rated number one of 39 other most influential celebrities which include Nobel Laureate for Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, award-winning artiste Angelique Kidjo, Afrobeat maestro Femi Kuti, A-list actress Genevieve Nnaji amongst other actors, cerebral authors, musicians, movie producers, supermodels, TV personalities and athletes selected from all across the continent of Africa. Rated second […]
He is rated number one of 39 other most influential celebrities which include Nobel Laureate for Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, award-winning artiste Angelique Kidjo, Afrobeat maestro Femi Kuti, A-list actress Genevieve Nnaji amongst other actors, cerebral authors, musicians, movie producers, supermodels, TV personalities and athletes selected from all across the continent of Africa.
Rated second is Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour, while the third position by Ivorian footballer and Chelsea FC centre forward Didier Drogba.
With nomination entries of about seven thousand five hundred (7, 500) people, the forty-man selection was made by picking out individuals with the highest number of votes. Their media visibility which includes exposure in print, television, radio and online, references on Google, TV/radio mentions and other mentions across continent was also taken into consideration.
All together 11 Nigerians are featured on the list including Achebe (1), Wole Soyinka (6), Femi Kuti (10), Nollywood star actress Genevieve Nnaji (19), Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie (32), hit producer Don Jazzy (36) and musicians 2face Idibia (34), P Square (35), D’banj (37), Nneka (38) and Asa (39).
Mali follows with five recognitions which include activist Salif Keita (7), Oumou Sangare (9), Toumani Diabaté (11), blind couple musicians Amadou and Mariam (26), Rokia Traoré (33).
Others are Senegalese musician, Youssou N’dour (2); Ivorian footballer, Didier Drogba (3) Internationally acclaimed Beninoise artiste Angelique Kidjoe (4), Akon, (5); South Africa’s Yvonne Chaka Chaka, (8); Mali’s Oumou Sangare (9); Oliver Mtukudzi, Zimbabwean musician (12); Multiple winning Ethiopian athlete Haile Gebrselassie, (13); Algeria’s music sensation, Khaled Hadj Ibrahim (14); Cameroun’s star footballer Samuel Eto’o (15); Sudan’s International Supermodel Alek Wek (16); Liya Kebede, Ethiopian Supermodel (17); Ivorian musician, Dobet Gnahoré, (18); Congolese music maestro Koffi Olomidé, (20); South Africa’s movie director, Neill Blomkamp, (21); Algeria’s musician Souad Massi, (22); Senegalese musician, Baaba Maal,(23); South Africa’s jazz master Hugh Masekela (24); Somalian rapper K’Naan (25); Congolese macosa master, Awilo Longomba, (27); Kenyan musician, Eric Wainain (28); Kenyan author, Binyavanga Wainaina (29); Kenyan literary icon, Ngugi Wa Thiongo, (30); South Africa’s Freshlyground Musicians (31) and Kenya’s on air TV personality, Patricia Amira, (40).