| Waconzy | |
| Birth Name: | Obinna Kelvin Anyanwu |
| Birth Date: | 10 August 1983[1] |
| Birth Place: | Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria |
| Origin: | Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria |
| Genre: | Afro pop music, pop, R&B, hip hop music, soul, reggae |
| Occupation: | Singer, songwriter, record producer |
| Years Active: | 2008–present |
| Label: | Dv8 Media |
| Associated Acts: | 2face Idibia, Duncan Mighty, Flavour N'abania, Timaya, Kcee, Iyanya |
Obinna Kelvin Anyanwu (born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, south-south Nigeria), better known by stage name Waconzy, is a singer, songwriter, record producer and philanthropist with family roots in Umuahia, the capital city of Abia State, southeastern Nigeria. He is the founder of Dv8 Media and the Waconzy Foundation. He rose to prominence in 2010 with his song "I Celebrate" which appeared on the I Celebrate album. His second album Money Back Guarantee was released in 2013. He is currently signed to Dv8 Media.
Waconzy was born on 10 August 1983 in Port Harcourt the capital city of Rivers State and completed his primary and secondary education there. In 1998, he recorded his first song while he was still in high school.[2] In 2000, Waconzy gained admission into the Federal University of Technology Owerri and graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Technology degree in project management. After completing his NYSC program in 2006, Waconzy joined the Project Management Institute in the United States where he was certified a Project Management Professional (PMP) and, in 2008, he set up his company Dv8 Media.[3] [4]
In 2008, Waconzy released the single "I Celebrate". The song's music video was shot by Clarence Peters of CAPital Dream Pictures in Lagos, Nigeria. In 2011, Waconzy collaborated with Duncan Mighty for the remix of "I Celebrate".
He released his debut album I Celebrate in 2010. The album included the singles "I Celebrate", "Too Much Money", "Wedding Day" and "Chuku Chuku".[5]
Following his debut album, Waconzy released his album Money Back Guarantee in 2013 which featured the songs "Amosu", "Club on Fire" and "Sweet like Tombo". In 2015, he released the Waconzy Greatest Hits compilation album which featured the songs "Na God", "Balling like Waconzy (Ekpoh)" and "Ogbono".
Waconzy has made charitable contributions in Nigeria.[6] He helped feed over a thousand poor people[7] and kicked off the Waconzy versus Malaria Zero Tolerance campaign to fight malaria in Africa.
Waconzy has collaborated with Banky W. ("Jangolova"), Faze ("Champion"), Duncan Mighty ("I Celebrate" remix), Naeto C ("Hallelujah" remix) and Truth Hurts ("Club on Fire" remix).
Hottest Naija Boy Alive Tour (Europe Tour) in 2014[8] where he was spotted with Sean Combs.[9]
| Year | Awards ceremony | Award description(s) | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Glitz Awards | Song of The Year (Ikebe Super) | |
| 2010 | Odudu Awards[17] | Artist of The Year (Himself) | |
| Song of the year (I celebrate) | |||
| Naija Urban (Male) | |||
| Best Collaboration (ft. Ibz, Drill, Big mouth – Too Much Money') | |||
| 2011 | NigerDelta Advancement Awards | Video of the Year (I Celebrate) | |
| 2012 | City People Entertainment Awards | Best Raggae/Dancehall artiste (I Celebrate Remix) | |
| 2013 | Blue print Awards | Best indigenous Artist of the year (Amosu) | |
| F.A.C.E Awards | International Artist of the year | ||
| 2014 | New Media Awards | Best use of Social Media NGO (Waconzy's Silver spoon foundation) | [18] |
| 2015 | NIGER DELTA ADVANCEMENT AWARDS[19] | BEST MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTOR (MEXfor Amosu) | Pending |
| VIDEO OF THE YEAR(Amosu) | Pending | ||
| NIGER DELTA ARTISTE OF THE YEAR (Himself) | Pending |
At the 2013 6th Annual World Music and Independent Film Festival in Hollywood, Waconzy was honoured with a humanitarian award for his contribution to the fight against malaria in Africa through his 'Waconzy Versus Malaria Zero Tolerance' campaign.[20] [21]