As expected, the final of NAR 2008 was keenly contested right down to the final moments when the winners were announced. After rounds of delightful music performances from all the finalists, Cameroon’s BA2M was announced as the winners. The group comprising 3 ladies and a guy were able to pull off the most amounts of votes via sms and the internet from across Africa and the globe. It appears that the whole of Africa fell in love with the smooth R&B vocals of the group.

BA2M started at the foot of the mountain, where the sun never sets in the town of Buea (South-west Cameroon). Larry, the only boy of the group, was part of an acapella group popularly known as “Negro Spiritual”. Adel, the lead and soprano singer, was member of the AFC cabaret and a studio back up. Bemo “Zinnia”, another lead vocal, is a studio backup and a gospel singer and Mabel is a song-writer and an interpreter.
They would occasionally come together to perform at parties. They decided to come together as a group in 2007 and voila, the rest they say is history. Their upcoming album will be a blend of afro-traditional jazz, world, and contemporary music. They say that, they don’t only want to sing good music, but want to do something unique and inspirational so as to touch all the corners of the world.

Niger’s Wonkeye was able to steal the second spot with their deeply African rhythms and flawless rapping skills. While Ghana’s Echo emerged third. All three winners won attractive prizes from Nestle including lucrative recording deals in their individual countries. So watch out for the next superstars to come out of Africa.