Africa’s star musicians hit the red carpet this past weekend at the annual All Africa Music Awards, celebrating the continent’s best talent.

The four-day event culminated Sunday evening at an awards ceremony on the outskirts of Senegal’s capital, Dakar. It included performances from some of Africa’s most popular musicians, including Nigeria’s P-Square and Tiwa Savage, Mali’s Rokia Kone and Senegalese singers Youssou N’Dour and Baaba Maal.

Ivorian rapper Didi B won best song of the year for his rap song “Tala”. Ascending the stage in front of a boisterous audience, he thanked his colleagues and said it was his first award of the year.

“I dedicate it to my mother and my fans,” the Abidjan-based rapper, singer and songwriter said.

“Tala” — Ivorian slang used to describe a type of dance — has been watched nearly 6.5 million times in seven months on YouTube and is played in nightclubs across the continent.

This was the eighth edition of AFRIMA and the first to be held in a French-speaking country. Nigeria has hosted most of the events, including the last one in Lagos in 2021, where the Malian singer Ibrahim Mahamadou Fily Sissoko, known as Iba One, won in the best album category. This year, Iba One was recognised as the best songwriter.