At first I couldn’t work out why MTV Base Africa would want to return to Nigeria to host their annual awards show so soon after their first ever event in 2008 was held in Abuja. But on second thought it wasn’t that much of a stretch. Nigeria’s 50th anniversary of independence, as much a point of contention for some, as a cause for celebration for others (like us) means that Naija has been hella topical in 2010. So the context was there. Also, a glance at the MAMA 2010 nominations confirms the choke-hold that Naija pop has on African’s urban music scene. Personally I’ve heard Bracket A-listed on the radio in Lusaka and caught up with 2Face in Nairobi in the same 24 hours. And groups like P-Square, who easily command tens of thousands of US dollars in performance fees, and are always on the road actually live as large as their lavish videos will have us believe.

Rick Ross’ performance is up first but the Lagos Party is only really underway when Banky W gets on stage with the ode to his city bringing along with him South African pop-rap group Jozi member Da Les and Congolese singer Barbara Kanam. Now, I am sure there is a place for Barbara somewhere but it’s quite possibly not on this stage, nor this generation, nor this song where she appears out of place and is struggling to project and stay in key. On the other hand, her fellow country man Fally Ipupa has the balance waxed. He has inherited the performance ethic of his mentor Koffi Olomide, which means tight choreography and flamboyance are part of his polished (read R&B’d out) look. And when he sings his voice soars, never missing a note. Unknown to MTV’s largely Anglophone viewership last year this time when he performed on the same MAMA platform, he is now nominated four times and it seems as the award for Best Francophone Act exists solely for him. He justly bags it as well the award for Best Video with the dancehall-dombolo blending Sexy Dance.

Best Anglophone brings about the first of the night’s firsts. You see, Black people, we go from mouthing the delightful filth of Gyptian and Nicki Minaj’s Hold Yuh to praising the Lord with Yolanda Adams like it’s nothing. And most other urban music channels acknowledge this nuance of ours in some way. However, Kenyan Daddy Owen’s win here – a first for gospel music – challenges MTV Base Africa’s irrefutably secular stance so far.

Other Kenyan group P Unit lead a joint performance with South African Hip-hop group Teargas, Storm 360’s first lady Sasha (who later wins in the Best Female category) and Eve, the host for the evening.

The hip-thrusting Cabo Snoop becomes Angola’s premiere MAMA winner when he is announced in the other new category, Best Lusophone.

For the past week Hip-hop icon Chuck D has been living out his designated role as Hip-hop’s foremost elder statesman. His tour of South Africa started with a press conference and music industry workshop in Johannesburg ahead of concerts in downtown Jozi, Soweto and in Cape Town. His takes to his twitter to unleash the account of his experience. One tweet goes: “The fakeness of black celebrity is this. They are a sliver away from the poverty and drama of their own family. It’s not the blue blood elite”. I wonder then what he will make of his time in Lagos aka flash central, this hub of fabulosity where everybody is somebody and makes sure they look as much. I for one am blown away by the Porsche count here and marvel at the designer order of the MAMAs red carpet: The likes of Louboutin, Herve Leger, Deola Sagoe and no less. But how will Chuck interpret it? And also, since he is billed to perform, how will this crowd take him? With Mo’Cheddah on the side apparently. The 20-year-old female rapper, and winner of the Best New is no Sista Souljah – Her highly acclaimed debut album is called Franchise Celebrity, in fact. The irony is amusing (perhaps only to me) as Chuck D, amped as hell, looks genuinely pleased to be there as he charges through Fight The Power with her.

Nneka and the South African rock group The Parlotones present the best international award next. Eminem accepts via satellite though I was certain Rick would win just for showing up. Or at least Rihanna. I have no facts to back it up but I am pretty certain Africans love Rihanna more than Eminem right now.

But there’s no time to ponder this further because it’s time for another medley performance. Big Nuz, Cabo Snoop, race through abbreviated versions of their hits, and only after the fact does Eve inform us that this was in fact the showcase for the Best Performance category. Big Nuz wins this one. And we blank stare. I can’t wait for award shows to bring back old-fashioned stand alone routines, I think to myself. And with two of the One8 group members already present, is this not the obvious forum to launch the group? Being that they are a ready-made collabo?

Chuck D comes back to announce the MAMA Legend award, this year honouring Miriam Makeba. Just a voice over with archive footage and videos, it’s a disappointing tribute compared to last year’s moving performance by Wyclef, Samini etc which paid Lucky Dube far more fitting homage. Coincidentally, just a fortnight ago the Noisettes’ rendition of Miriam’s classic Kilimanjaro went viral. Someone should’ve called them. I also wonder whether part of the criterion for the honour of MAMA Legend is that they aren’t alive. (It was Fela Kuti for 2008)

P-Square beats P Unit, Teargas and Uganda’s Radio and Weasel in the best group category. Radio and Weasel didn’t stand a chance to be honest. Not least because one never sees their videos on MTV. Despite the fact that they are the biggest group out of UG right now. Their song Potential remained a hit for two years straight and is still current as a mandatory wedding party starter, the certified seal for African banger status . Although the video was only released this year, D Banj’s Fall In Love has had a similar run for two years now, and so has no business being in this year’s song of the year category alongside the winning Fairytale (Liquideep, South Africa), Show Dem (JR South Africa), and Lagos Party.

Parlotones start playing next and just as I begin to dread the awkward shoe-gazing 2Face swoops in to save and own the moment, even busting out on a crowd surf, building up nicely to his Best Male and Artist of the year wins. T-Pain precedes the finale, and at first he flat-lines with less familiar material. But when Buy You a Drank comes on the crowd is instantly lubricated, leaning and singing along. All I Do is Win seals the deal. Rick Ross enters the stage and evokes pandemonium, followed by a shouting 2Face and then the rest of the MAMA 2010 cast for the mandatory show of togetherness, closing the show as the crowd shouts optimistically for T-Pain to encore.

The MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel premieres on MTV base (DStv Channel 322) on Saturday 18 December at 19:00 CAT, with repeats on Sunday 19 December at 08:00 CAT and 14:00 CAT The MTV Africa Music Awards 2010 is sponsored by Airtel in association with MasterCard.

Other partners supporting the MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel include Arik Air and the Lagos State Government The MTV Africa Music Awards 2010 is sponsored by Airtel in association with MasterCard. Other partners supporting the MTV Africa Music Awards with Airtel include Arik Air and the Lagos State Government.