The Audience Award One of the main awards has now been decided by you the audience. The winner will be announced at the Poll Winners concert in March. A huge thanks to all those who contributed. It was wonderful to see such a wide-ranging list of nominations (left) and the way so many of the musicians have touched your lives.
Here are the bands who were voted onto the final shortlist. Click on each name to read more about them and click on the 'listen' icon to hear a selected track from each band. A large selection of your comments can be found by clicking on the list to the left.
Elizabeth Clarke, Costa Rica:
'His music is an amazing mix of styles, African jazz, soul, r & b, his lyrics denounce the problems facing the African continent and their colonial roots, and his concert was fun and kept the audience on their feet the whole time!'
Martin Darbyshire:
'Well quite frankly if you sore him on this debut UK tour you'd have to vote for him. What a performance keeping Afrobeat every bit as alive in 2002.'
Tim Llewelyn, Bristol:
'True music power, in a different league to most other "World Music" acts though truly innovative music, with a positive and meaningful message in the language of the mainstream music bizness (English) and an awesome stage show.'
