R. Kelly backs African supergroup tipped for global stardom

(CNN) -- Eight African musical superstars have joined forces, on a mission to share their continent's music with a global audience.

They have formed a pan-African supergroup, called ONE8, which has been tipped as one to watch this year by U.S.-based Billboard magazine -- the music industry's bible on what's hot and what's not.

The group is set to release its debut album next month.

The ambitious project has brought together diverse musicians from eight African countries, many of whom are huge in their homeland but relatively unknown elsewhere.

"It's new urban Africa, it's fresh, it's liberating and most importantly it's positive," said ONE8's Amani, a Kenyan singer who won the MTV African Music Award for Best Female Artist in 2009.

"There is a more optimistic and positive generation now in Africa and you can feel that in the music, you can feel that in the culture," she added.

"I think it's time that the world got introduced to that vibe right now because it's different."

Besides Amani, ONE8 consists of Nigerian R&B singer 2Face, Zambian singer JK, Ugandan hip-hop star Navio, Tanzanian bongo superstar Alikiba, Ghanaian hip-hop trio 4X4, singer Fally Ipupa, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabonese rapper Movaizhaleine.