Yvonne Chaka-Chaka

Even with the sonorous renditions of South Africa's music star, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and the pathetic touch of the lyrics which actually dwelled on helping UNICEF achieve its charity cause, AfricaCom awards night was still a tension soaked night for shortlisted companies.

The Coalition of Supporters Union of Africa (COSUA), a brain child of Sarfo Abebrese, that seeks to rally support for African countries in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, has contracted Mr. Richgold Kweku Odeshie Godson, a song writer and a private investigator to record an anthem with South Africa's diva - Yvonne Chaka Chaka.

The singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka visits New York this week to help campaign for the voices of Africa's women and children to be heard at the opening of the new session of the United Nations General Assembly, and for the leaders of the G20 countries not to forget their commitments to the continent. Chaka Chaka serves as a goodwill ambassador for the UN Children's Fund, for the Roll Back Malaria campaign and for 46664 (Nelson Mandela's global HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention campaign). She recently sat down to talk to AllAfrica in our Washington, DC offices. Excerpts:

As the night grew darker at Nyamapanda business centre a jukebox could be heard at one of the night spots loudly playing one of Yvonne Chaka Chaka's 1980s hit songs Take my love it's free.