This year’s edition of the National Arts Merit Awards have stirred mixed feelings from the general populace.
Some have showered dissatisfaction with regards to the winners, raising a lot of red flags especially on the adjudication while the victors think this is the best edition of the Arts Awards showcase.
With every art awards, elections or even exams usually someone who would have failed to make it will blame adjudicators, electoral bodies and examiners.
I remember very well when we sat for our Advanced level exams, those who failed blamed the examiners and the Exam body itself ZIMSEC.
You wonder how someone could be stoop so low and how one cannot just accept reality that he or she missed the notch.
I bet the best is to get back to the drawing board restrategise and make better submissions next year. That is life! If you fall get up brush off the dust and run again.
Frankly Patridge once said, ‘Sad endings herald new beginnings, the episodic chapters of life.’
Some of the red flags raised include awarding outstanding video to a song viewers argued had no video.
The video, Damage by Tahle Wedzinza was nominated and awarded video of the year for this year’s edition.
My innocent question is,’ Why did the red flag get raised now after the awards ceremony where was everyone when the song was on the nominations list?
This is a layman’s argument because this does not take into account that some of the content is directly submitted to NAMA without being posted online for public consumption for reasons best known to the artists.
Others have argued that, ‘Babe rako raroorwa,’ by Enzo cannot be the outstanding song of the year.
They argue it lacks that flair to be awarded such an accolade. Karma probably has decided that Enzo get the award.
Others feel Zim Hip Hop was robbed because of failure to be given an award although the greater part of the year it was hip hop which was making the airwaves. Even deep down in Boterere people danced to Holy Ten Music and even Saintfloew’s tunes.
A Winky D fan, Paul Dhlamini from Neshuro laughed this off saying Karma was punishing Holy Ten for being ‘unholy.’ Come on guys! Could it be the Winky-D drama and the Michael Magz issue or his political alignments that led to him missing the gong? No one knows!
On one of the our Masvingo arts platforms, Summers enquired of my opinion regarding all this but I was clear-there is nothing fair in this world.
You have to sweat for sweet and sometimes on the way to the honeypot you can be trampled to death.
Life is not fair, even molehills wanted to be mountains like Mount Inyangani.
They also wanted to be documented on maps but nature just relegated them to useless structures that derive value to fisherman who destroy them to carry termites for fish bait.
The same is true of Mutorahuku stream near my home, it also wanted to be Limpopo, Save and even the Mississippi flowing all year round but no its just a stream that provides scouring sand for the women in the village who will be removing the ‘mugwiti, mukonasanhu or mutsviri’ soot from their black Kango pots.
Thats life. Humanity should not always play victim and should not always wish that society feels sorry for it. It’s done and dusted. NAMA 2024 is done.
Congrats to the winners and ‘tough luck’ to the losers. There will be always a next time. Hanzi naTicha Comfort, and ‘watombonominatwer hako zvitori nani.’
The Masvingo arts family is grateful that at least and at last one of theirs Ngoni Paradza aka Mambo Guramatunhu the poet clinched the outstanding poet accolade.
It is a win for Masvingo. Could it be because Ngoni packed his bags and relocated to the big city?
Some critics have accused the adjudicators of being biased towards Harare based artists. Izvi hamenovo but the fact is every talented person feels Harare is ‘where all things happen.’
With the terrible experience at our own Masvingo Arts Awards, after forking out about 50dollars for a VIP seat, being made to stare at a plate with tooth picks and an empty glass throughout the show.
Hamenowo ndezvekumaAwards! Sometimes going to these awards, you feel like you are in a ward. But for the fortunate artists this year it was either you would be made to go and see Victor or get a NAMA.
Sandra Ndebele, Seh Calaz, Jah Bhobho, Prophet Madungwe, Mathias Mhere, Chaplain Phiri, Jah Prayzah, Chief Hwenje just to mention a few were made to see Victor at Exquisite Cars. No matter how critics view this, but to the arts fraternity it’s a win.
The welfare of Zimbabwean celebrities has been pathetic and really requires government to see to it that they are catered for.
Khama has been making headlines in the previous week. I am referring to Khama Billiat the Zimbabwean soccer player who has been plying his trade in neighbouring South Africa at Amakhosi.
He came back amid speculations that he was going to join Dembare but after he was made to travel with Dembare for a match in a chicken bus he dropped the decision to join Dembare.
News of him being seen training with Ngezi Platinum, at one time Manica Diamonds showed interest but eventually he joined Yadah.
He is now a holy oil player. Let us wait and see how the returnee will fare on the local safari. Will he change the play at Yadah or he is just an overrated player?
He is now the highest paid player earning US$5-000 a month. Is he still worth so much? Time will tell. All the best to the Miracle Boys.
May Karma determine every bit and piece of how we fare as a nation.
Some wished Karma to punish Tshabangu who they accuse of bringing the yellow political formation CCC to its feet. Is he not just a scapegoat for the power hungry sycophants making the echelons of this pathetic party?
Infighting and power greediness is to blame. Maybe the fate of their political formation is also a result of Karma for begging for sanctions for this teapot shaped country of ours.
Anyway, Chamisa and a few of his loyal lieutenants have turned to blue and has shown that he still has a following. Let’s wait for the next move and state of affairs on the political arena.
Now that they have turned to blue, do they have anything new to offer or its the old wine in new wine skins. Its just a view!
Chana CheMasvingo aka Johannes Mike Mupisa
0775125488
johannesmikemupisa11@gmail.com
