Nigerian international superstar, Tems has canceled her upcoming concert in Rwanda amidst the current tension between the country and South Africa over the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The singer made this announcement on her X account in a move that has been praised by both South African and DRC fans.
In the post, the Grammy winner shared that she promoted her Kigali concert ignorant of the ongoing crisis between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 29-year-old star apologized if her actions appeared insensitive to the current political climate while also sharing a thought for all those affected by the conflict.
“So I recently promoted my show in Rwanda without realizing that there is an ongoing conflict between Rwanda and Congo. I never ever intend to be insensitive to real-world issues, and I sincerely apologize if this came across that way.
“I simply had no idea this was going on. My heart goes out to those affected. Conflict is no joke and I truly hope and pray for peace in this time.”
Tems
The canceled concert was meant to be part of the world tour of her debut album ‘Born In The Wild’ which has seen her sell-out venues.
This move elicited mixed reactions from fans; some have called her out for being caught up in politics, while others commended her for being thoughtful and sensitive.
“It is sad to see someone getting caught up in politics instead of focusing on their art. Your concert flopped with only 270 out of 10,000 tickets sold. That is a hard truth. Remember, you might be a big name in Nigeria, but stepping into Rwanda is a whole different ball game.”
World Trends
“Thank you, Tems, for your support and solidarity with the DRC. Your voice and compassion help keep the world’s attention on the urgent crisis in our country.”
Sam Mwezezo
Other fans felt that Tems’ reason for canceling the concert was not justified.
“Why did you perform in the USA where it had conflicts with Russia? Why did you perform in England where it had conflicts with Russia for supporting Ukraine? Just that was not a good reason to bark outside here. You will regret it.”
Chris Bugingo
“Well, if a president of a country I am meant to go visit wants to start a war while he is engaged in conflict already with neighbors I would cancel my trip to that country also, so good for you.”
Maverick
Tems is a celebrated singer, songwriter, and producer. She gained international recognition after featuring in Wizkid’s song ‘Essence’. She has also collaborated with top artists such as Drake and Future.
DRC is embroiled in a war that has seen dozens killed and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Kinshasa has accused Rwanda of backing and funding M23, a rebel group fighting with government forces in DRC.
Tems Nominated in Three Categories at This Year’s Grammys
Nigerian R&B star, Temilade Openiyi, also known as Tems is set to make history as the first African artist to win two Grammys in one night.
According to Billboard, Tems has been nominated in three categories at this year’s Grammys including Best African Music Performance for “Love Me Jeje”, Best Global Music Album for “Born In The Wild”, and Best R&B Song for “Burning” could take home to awards.
Billboard is predicting that the diva will win two of the categories when the stars gather at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, February 2.
According to the prediction, Tems’ “Love Me Jeje”, a sample of Seyi Sodimu’s 1997 song of the same title, will win the Best African Music Performance category ahead of “Tomorrow” (Yemi Alade); “MMS” (Asake & Wizkid); “Sensational” (Chris Brown featuring Davido & Lojay); “Higher” (Burna Boy).
However, “Sensational” by American singer Chris Brown, featuring Davido and Lojay, was designated a “Look Out For” by Billboard.
Billboard also noted that Burna Boy’s “Higher” is a strong contender in the category given the singer’s pedigree.
“Water” by South African youngster Tyla won the inaugural Best African Music Performance award last year.
Tems is also predicted to win the Best Global Music Album category with her debut album, “Born In The Wild.”
The other nominees in the category are “Alkebulan II” (Matt B featuring Royal Philharmonic Orchestra); “Paisajes” (Ciro Hurtado); “Heis” (Rema); “Historias De Un Flamenco” (Antonio Rey).
Interestingly, Tems is the only previous Grammy winner in the category this year.
Billboard, however, noted that “Historias De Un Flamenco” by Antonio Rey is a strong contender in the category.
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