Meet Asa, African pop legend in the making

November 30, 2011 -- Updated 1109 GMT (1909 HKT)

Nigerian singer, Asa, is the latest African musician to hit it big with audiences in her home continent and beyond. The 29-year-old artist has a growing following in Europe and North America and has opened shows for pop royalty such as Beyonce and Snoop Dogg.

Somalia born rapper K'naan received international acclaim for his 2006 album, The "Dusty Foot Philosopher." He has since toured with Lenny Kravitz and collaborated with British guitar pop group, Keane.

Nigerian singer songwriter, Nneka, says she only started singing in 2005. She has since made up for lost time; winning a MOBO award in 2009 and touring with the likes of Nas and Damien Marley.

Another of Nigeria's most popular contemporary musicians. 2Face Idibia found global fame with his hit single, African Queen, in 2006. He has since been recognized with international music awards from MOBO and MTV.

Dubbed "Ghana's Bob Marley," Rocky Dawuni has performed to audiences across the world as well as working with musical legend, Stevie Wonder.

Amadou et Mariam have come a long way since meeting at Mali's Institute for the Young Blind in the 1970s. The musical duo have received international plaudits for their eclectic sounds and have supported both U2 and Coldplay on their world tours.

Senegal's Youssou N'Dour (right) has been one of Africa's leading and most recognizable musicians for more than two decades. Here he performs alongside rock legends Bono and Bob Geldof in Germany, 2007.

Another popular Malian export, Salif Keita is credited with being one of the founders of the Afro pop genre. He was also the first African band leader to be nominated for a Grammy award.

Ladysmith Black Mambazo sprung to global fame after collaborating with Paul Simon on his multi award-winning album, "Graceland." The South African choral group have since achieved musical recognition in their own right, selling millions of records worldwide.

Grammy award-winning singer, Cesaria Evora, is the most famous musical export from the Cape Verde Islands. She has sold millions of records worldwide and is affectionately know as "the barefoot diva," due to her penchant for appearing on stage without footwear.

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Afro popstars -- Asa

Afro popstars -- K'naan

Afro popstars -- Nneka

Afro popstars-- 2Face Idibia

Afro popstars--Rocky Dawuni

Afro popstars--Amadou et Mariam

Afro popstars--Youssou N'Dour

Afro popstars--Salif Keita

Afro popstars --Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Afro popstars --Cesaria Evora

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Asa is a Nigerian singer songwriter
• Her soulful melodies have led proved popular with audiences in Africa and beyond
• The 29-year-old artist is the latest in a long line of African musicians to make it on world stage

(CNN) -- She may be a fully-fledged pop star with a growing global appeal but Nigerian singer, Asa, is determined to remain true to her African roots.
The 29 year old artist initially found fame on her home continent thanks to her soulful musical melodies, which have since proved popular with audiences in Europe and beyond.
She has since opened live shows for the musical superstars such as Beyonce, Snoop Dogg, Akon and John Legend.

Asa's musical upbringing

Ghana's Bob Marley spreads message of brotherhood

Asa's new music video

But despite sampling the sweet taste of global recognition, it is Nigeria and Africa that remain the singer's main sources of inspiration.

Asa: Returning to Nigeria

"I'm proud to be Nigerian and I also hope other Nigerians feel proud that they have a great country, she adds"
"People have preconceptions of Nigeria ... so for other Nigerians we need to know that we cannot hide, we need to defend, and how do we defend, we need to be good at whatever we do," she adds.
Asa is just the latest in a long line of African artists to make it big on the world stage.
Singer Nneka tells world of love and injustice in Nigeria

Traditional acts such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Salif Keita have blazed a trail in years gone by, while up-and-coming hip hop artists such as K'naan and 2Face Idibia have taken on the mantle in recent times.
In the gallery above, CNN takes a look at some of the continent's most famous and much-loved musical exports.