- Fri, 2012-10-26 13:31
This week I Like Music was invited to find out more about the new partnership between the MOBO Organisation and HTC.
Think of MOBO, and like us, you'll probably think of their annual awards ceremony first.
Founded by Kanya King MBE in 1996, the Music Of Black Origin Awards mark their 17th anniversary this year. Taking place on November 3rd at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, the 2012 MOBO Awards will announce winners of categories including Best Male, Best Female, Best Reggae Act, Best Gospel Act and Best Newcomer in association with HTC.
Relatively new to the technology marketplace, HTC have been creating smartphones and tablets for the last 15 years. So why the partnership with MOBO? According to MOBO founder Kanya King;
"We want to empower our audience. The synergy between technology and music is paramount. The brand just fits perfectly. We're really excited about all the activities we're going to be doing together!"
With the awards ceremony just the tip of the MOBO Organisation iceberg, Kanya explained that "there's always been a broader purpose for MOBO, the awards is the culmination of all that, the extravaganza!" Their year-round activities now focus on promoting up and coming artists, with MOBO UnSung for new talent and a three day festival Celebrate MOBO, with master classes, workshops and Q&As for young people to learn about the music industry.
With 'quietly brilliant' as their strapline, HTC will be supporting these activities. Phil Roberson from HTC told us;
"Our whole ethos is to work in a different way and to challenge ourselves to do things differently. So that works well with what Kanya does, providing opportunities for people to live up to their ambitions and talent. We've done that in other areas this year, giving people the opportunity to be the best they can be, so this is our extension into music!"
An extension that supports the HTC partnership with Dr. Dre's Beats Audio. Designed "to bring you exactly what the artist intended" when you listen to tunes on your phone, HTC make the only smartphones that come with Beats Audio sound. According to Phil;
"Audio is more and more important on smartphones; around 57% of people use their device primarily for audio. We've been really at the forefront of innovation in terms of hardware and software. So, it's logical to say it's not just about building that device, it's about being able to offer that to people who consume digital audio in a new way. The audience that we get with MOBO is fantastic, they're really into the quality of their music, rather than it just being another track..."
