NAMA 2014 Theme:
“Unite, Excite and Educate”
“Unite, Excite and Educate”
(Report By WIN-Zimbabwe)
Rising Star: Jah Prayzah, real name Mukudzei Mukombe, captured here performing at the 13th NAMA Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 15, 2014, in Bulawayo. He walked away with four NAMA awards.
Irreverent artistic content condemned
Art represents the culture of a people and therefore it should convey an important message to the people, said the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Andrew Langa, when he presented his keynote speech at the 2014 NAMA Awards ceremony held on February 15 in Bulawayo.
The charming ceremony took place at the Bulawayo Rainbow Hotel under the theme ‘Unite, Excite and Educate’.
The Minister castigated artists, particularly the new generation of musicians, who have churned out profane lyrics which do not bequeath any sense of culture to posterity.
His call comes at a time when the country has witnessed a spate of anti-cultural, computerized musical potboilers which are being produced by some new musicians.
“I would like to emphasize on the content that the creative arts, especially music, need to bring to the populace of our country. While the music arrangements in our creations are improving, the same cannot be said about the content. This is a challenge that I am making to you musicians,” said Langa.
He encouraged the upcoming musicians to dig into the wealth of Zimbabwean culture and send to the world the right message that depicts who we are instead of making “unnecessary noise”.
“We want you musicians to depict what builds our country Zimbabwe. That is why government created the Ministry of Sports, Arts and Culture. Zimbabwe has a rich culture and heritage that safeguards who we are,” he said.
Minister Langa also took the opportunity to advise gospel musicians whom he said have a great role to play in the promotion of ubuntuism because religion falls under culture.
Making reference to the recent fall of some local churchmen, Langa condemned churches which are taking advantage of vulnerable women.
“Most people go to church with problems which they need solved by you pastors and preachers but because you know they are vulnerable, you make them your wives. Government will heavily descend on you,” he said.
Meanwhile, artists Olivia Charamba and Enock Chihombori, who won the Outstanding Female Musician and Outstanding Screen Production (full length film) awards respectively, in their brief touching speeches, implored the Minister to take stern measures against piracy which has impoverished the arts industry.
Celebrated crooner Dorothy Masuku, who gave a superb performance at the NAMA ceremony, also requested the Minister to consider coming up with a special event to honor and celebrate the country’s departed great musicians such as Safirio Madzikatire, Chiwoniso Maraire, Leonard Dembo and others.
This year’s National Arts Merit Awards (13th Edition) saw each winner taking home a trophy, certificate, cash prize and different vouchers while nominees were presented with certificates. According to the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, the annual Awards, established in 2002, aim to reward excelling artists to stimulate more interest in the arts and raise the profile of creators. The Awards, among other objectives, hope to confirm the arts and cultural industries as capable of improving the status and quality of life of practitioners.
WIN-Zim Bags Home Second NAMA Nomination
Writers International Network Zimbabwe reached the nomination stage again at the recently concluded 2014 NAMA Awards, thus making it a second successive national recognition.
The WIN blog was nominated last year and this year for the Outstanding Online Media award (Media category) which has been scooped, also successively, by the Zimbo Jam.
The blog, created in 2010, among other websites such as award-winning Zimbo Jam, Panorama, and various other local arts and culture blogs, have made a convincing testimony that the internet is a critical tool, an enabler, in the development of our arts and culture.
Emmanuel Sigauke, writer and WIN Board member, congratulated WIN. He said, “The nominations are a sign that people are recognizing the important role the organization is playing. That’s already a winning spirit. Keep doing what you are doing.”
WIN members were strong enough to value the nominations as additional encouragement for the association to keep aiming high.
Alois Sagota aka Sagota Sagota said the NAMAs are good and promotional because they are held annually.
Another member in Kadoma, Tendai Chinhoro, said, “While we have not been able to win the award, the nominations have been helpful to some extent in marketing WIN-Zim.”
Mabasa Honors Charles Mungoshi
Writer Ignatius Mabasa is humbled for having been included in the same category with one of Zimbabwe’s great writer Charles Mungoshi.
Mabasa’s Imbwa YeMunhu and Charles Mungoshi’s Branching Streams Flow in the Dark emerged as co-winners of the Outstanding Fiction Book Award.
In a brief interview after receiving the award, Mabasa said being nominated in the same category with Charles Mungoshi for NAMA was something that made him hate the concept of competition.
“How could I compete with Charles Mungoshi – one of my mentors and seniors? I felt I shouldn’t have submitted my work for consideration. My winning came as a big surprise. I am still surprised but I also feel I have been validated and given due recognition by Zimbabwe which means I no longer consider myself an underdog in Zimbabwean literature. I can now sit padare nevakuru (dine with the elders) and talk about literature and what needs to be done!” said Mabasa.
Charles Mungoshi needs no introduction in local, regional and international literary circles, having so far produced about twelve books, some of them winners of prestigious awards. Waiting for the Rain and the classic Ndiko Kupindana Kwemazuva won the International PEN Award. The Setting Sun and the Rolling World won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa Region) and was a New York Times Book of the Year. Stories from a Shona Childhood scooped the NOMA Award and is also one of Africa 100 Best Books.
Walking Still which came out in 1997 won the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Africa Region).
The recent NAMA Award which the veteran author has earned has come with revived hope that the book could actually become a school set text.
The author’s son Farayi Mungoshi, who represented him at the NAMA Awards, told WIN that it is encouraging that the book has gained local recognition before the publisher has even started looking for a wider market beyond the borders of our country.
“It has given confidence to the family (who published the book under their family stable called Mungoshi Press). It is the first book we have published on our own with the support from outside and it is performing very well,” said Farayi.
Still with the 2014 NAMA Awards literary category, the Outstanding First Creative Published Work award was won by Solomon Mwapangidza for his debut book Rebel Soldier. Rebel Soldier was published by AuthorHouse (UK) and is currently available online on Amazon.com as well as directly from the publisher.
Fortune Tazvivinga grabbed the Outstanding Children’s Book award for her book The River God Unyaminyami.
NoViolet Bulawayo’s debut We Need New Names which has received wider appreciation earned Special Mention in the Literary Awards category.
Fortune Tazvivinga (above) won the Outstanding Children’s Book
Below are the rest of the winners in different categories:
Dance Awards
Outstanding Group – 8 Count Dance Crew
Outstanding Female Dancer – Maylene Chenjerai of Tumbuka Dance Company
Outstanding Male Dancer – Peter Lenso of Tumbuka Dance Company
Outstanding Choreographer – Sean George Mabwere of Rolex Dance Crew
Visual Arts Awards
Outstanding Mix Media – Nhapwasikana by Forbes Mushipe
Outstanding 2 Dimensional Work – House of Stone by Webster Mubayirenyi
Outstanding 3 Dimensional Work - Indigenization by Israel Israel
Spoken Word Awards
Outstanding Comedian – Simba Kakora aka Simba the Comic King
Outstanding Poet – Obert Dube
Theatre/Drama Awards
Outstanding Actress – Nyaradzo Nhongonhema in Pub Stories
Outstanding Actor – Tafadzwa Hananda in Pub Stories & Half Empty Half Full
Outstanding Theatrical Production – Half Empty Half Full (Savannah Trust)
Outstanding Director – Ryan Lawrence and Peter John Smith (The Woman in Black)
Media Awards
Outstanding Journalist (Print) – Shamiso Yikoniko of the Sunday Mail
Outstanding Journalist (Television) – Sifiso Mpofu of ZBC
Outstanding Journalist (Radio) – Problem Masau of Star FM
Outstanding Online Media - Zimbo Jam
Outstanding Online Media - Zimbo Jam
Film and Television Awards
Outstanding Actor – Nash Mphepho in Decoder
Outstanding Actress- Eunice Tava in Sinners
Outstanding Music Video – Mwanasikana by Willard Magombedze featuring Jah Prayzah
Outstanding Screen Production (Full length film) – Gringo the Trouble Maker by Enoch Chihombori
Outstanding Screen Production (Short Film) – Decoder by Jasen Mphepho
Outstanding Screen Production (TV) – No nominees, no winner
Music Awards
Outstanding Female Musician – Olivia Charamba
Outstanding Male Musician – Jah Prayzah
Outstanding Album – Jah Prayzah
Outstanding Song – Jah Prayzah
Special Awards
Promoter of the Year – Divine Assignment
Arts Personality Award – Oliver Mtukudzi
Arts Service Award- Intwasa
People’s Choice Award – Jah Prayzah
We say congratulations to the 2014 winners!
WIN Newsletter, Issue No 75 coming soon….
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