African Most Influential Celebrities

Forbes, an American Publishing and media outfit released names of most influential celebrities in what it called contemporary African pop culture from 7,500 nominations received on October 12, 2011.  The list which includes Musicians, Actors, TV personalities, athletes, movie producers, cerebral authors, and super models drawn all across the African continent was compiled according to number of votes received by any nominated individual.

Below are top ten most powerful icons in Africa according to Forbes:

                                                                    Number 1:

Name: Albert Chunualumogu Achebe
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth : 16 November 1930
Novelist and a Professor

                                                                      Number 2:

Youssou N'dour
Nationality: Senegal
Date of Birth: October 1 1959
Musician

                                                                       Number 3:

Didier Yves Drogba Tébily
Nationality: Ivory Coast
Date of Birth: March 11, 1978
Footballer

                                                           Number 4: 

Angélique Kpasseloko Hinto Hounsinou Kandjo Manta Zogbin Kidjo
Nationality: Benin
Date of Birth: July 14, 1960
Musician

                                                                        Number 5:

Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam
Nationality: Senegal
Date of Birth: April 16, 1973
Musician

                                                                          Number 6:

Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: July 13, 1934
Playwright

                                                                      Number 7:

Salif Keita
Nationality: Senegal
Date of Birth: August 25, 1949
Musician

                                                                       Number 8:

Yvonne Machaka
Nationality: South Africa
Date of Birth: 1965
Musician

                                                                     Number 9:

Oumou Sangare
Nationality: Mali
Date of Birth: February 25, 1968
Musician

                                                                    Number 10:

Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: June 16, 1962
Musician

 The rest are:


 11:
Toumani Diabaté
Nationality: Mali
Date of Birth: August 10, 1965
Kora player


12:
Oliver Tuku Mtukudz
Nationality: Zimbabwe
Date of Birth: September 22, 1952
Musician


13:
Haile Gebrselassie
Nationality: Ethiopia
Date of Birth: April 18, 1973
Athlete

14:
Khaled Hadj Ibrahim
Nationality: Algeria
Date of Birth: February 29, 1960
Musician

15:
Samuel Eto'o Fils
Nationality: Cameroun
Date of Birth: March 10, 1981
Footballer

16:
Alek Wek
Nationality: Sudan
Date of Birth: April 16, 1977
Model


17:
Liya Kebede
Nationality: Ethiopia
Date of Birth: January 3, 1978
Model

18:
Dobet Gnahoré
Nationality: Ivory Coast
Date of Birth: June 17, 1983
Musician

19:
Genevieve Nnaji
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: May 3, 1979
Actress

20:
Antoine Christophe Agbepa Mumba (Koffi Olimide)
Nationality: Congo
Date of Birth: August 13, 1956
Musician

21:
Neill Blomkamp
Nationality: South Africa
Date of Birth: September 17, 1979
Movie Director

22:
Souad Massi
Nationality: Algeria
Date of Birth: August 23, 1972
Musician

23:
Baaba Maal
Nationality: Senegal
Date of Birth: November 12, 1953
Musician

24:
Hugh Ramopolo Masekela
Nationality: South Africa
Date of Birth: April 4, 1939
Musician

25:
Keinan Abdi Warsame (K'naan)
Nationality: Somalia
Date of Birth: 1978
Musician

26:
Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia
Nationality: Mali
Date of Birth: October 24 1954 and April 15 1958
Musicians

27:
Awilo Longomba
Nationality: Congo
Musician

28:
Eric Wainaina
Nationality: Kenya
Date of Birth: August 28, 1973
Musician

29:
Binyavanga Wainaina
Nationality: Kenya
Date of Birth: January 18, 1971
Author

30:
Ngugi Wa Thiongo
Nationality: Kenya
Date of Birth: January 5, 1938
Author

31:
Freshlyground
Nationality: South Africa
Date of Birth: 2002
Musicians

32:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: September 15, 1977
Writer

33:
Rokia Traoré
Nationality: Mali
Date of Birth: January 26, 1974
Musician

34:
Innocent Ugah Idibia (Tuface)
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: September 18, 1975
Musician

35:
P-Square
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: 18 November 1981
Musicians

36:
Michael Collins Ajereh (Don Jazzy)
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: November 26, 1982
Music Producer

37:
Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: June 9, 1980
Musician

38:
Nneka Lucia Egbuna (Neka)
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: December 24 1980
Musician

39:
Bukola Elemide (Asa)
Nationality: Nigeria
Date of Birth: 1982
Musician

40:
Patricia Amira
Nationality: Kenya
Date of Birth: 1978
Tv Personality

Statistics

Gender:  Females (13), Males (24), Groups (3)

Nationality:  Nigeria (11), Kenya (4), Mali (4), Senegal (4), South Africa (4), Algeria (2),  Congo (2), Ethiopia (2), Ivory Coast (2), Benin (1), Cameroon (1),  Somalia (1), Sudan (1) Zimbabwe (1), 

Categories: Music (27), Authors (5), Sports (3), Television Celebrities (3), Models (2),