By Bruce Ndlovu
BULAWAYO – The 2013 National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) will for many years be remembered not only by residents of the host City of Kings but also by the many arts enthusiasts drawn from the length and breadth of the country.
It was a night of glitz and glamour at the Large City Hall as celebrities, businesspeople and ordinary people converged to witness the crowning moment for outstanding artistes in the different genres. The homecoming of Nama to the City of Kings was greeted with song, dance and high fashion.
Those who had the opportunity to witness the event would definitely want a repeat of the same at the same venue next year. There could be a few that may be reluctant to give Bulawayo the deserved accolades for staging a largely successful awards ceremony but that will not dampen the organisers’ spirits.
An objective analysis of the good and the bad regarding how the event was staged is more than welcome because it will highlight the shortcomings that will assist the organisers to polish their act in future.
The good
The unity that Bulawayo showed in playing host to the event was one of the positives to come out of last Saturday’s event. Business, the arts and people from all spheres of life came together to write Bulawayo firmly on the country’s cultural map.
This unity of purpose is a strong bargain tool for the city when it comes to hosting future national events. The organisers shamed the prophets of doom who doubted the city’s ability to host an event of this magnitude.
The presence of two iconic figures in Zimbabwean sport and music, Peter “Nsukuzonke” Ndlovu and Oliver Mtukudzi added the required icing to the cake. The standing ovation extended to Nsukuzonke was one of the highlights of the night.
Nsukuzonke’s recent troubles have been well documented and the cheers that greeted his appearance on stage showed that the city shared his pain and he did not need to walk the sometimes lonely road to recovery alone.
The presence of superstar Mtukudzi confirmed that artistes take Namas seriously. His speech spoke volumes of how artistes view Namas and what society expects from artistes.
“Artistes should mirror the kind of society they come from. They reflect what Zimbabwe is to the world. If you sing well, outsiders will praise what Zimbabweans do. Don’t take your role lightly,” he said. Wise words from a well travelled musician.
The Namas is Zimbabwe’s equivalent of the Grammys or the Oscars and the way that some of the guests embraced this concept was encouraging. Though all was not rosy in the fashion department, there was an attempt to make a difference.
The ladies were particularly stunning, pulling out all the stops, making the ceremony’s red carpet their catwalk as they stomped the City Hall’s floors in high heeled shoes while putting on the most elegant nightwear.
Though less fashion astute compared to their female counterparts, the men also played their part looking elegant in blazers and vintage shirts. Some of the clothes on display deserved awards of their own. Dressed to the nines, artistes made the awards seem a sideshow to a fashion event.
The big screen outside the venue was also a nice touch. Not all could afford to get into the venue, which was packed to capacity. The screen showed that the event was inclusive of everyone whether they had made it into the venue or not.
The Namas were not just held at the City Hall, they were held in the city of Bulawayo. The speeches from some of the winners on the night also added colour to the ceremony.
The bad
The confusion that was witnessed during the award presentation cannot be ignored. At some point it seemed there was total confusion. The night’s main protagonists seemed like actors that were reading from a script that they were seeing for the first time. It seemed all unrehearsed as things seemed disjointed.
Some of the night’s low points included the confusion that saw a mix up of awards when Outstanding Actress in Theatre, Nothando Nobengula was crowned the Outstanding Actor in Theatre instead of Charles Matare.
To further compound matters, Mayor of Bulawayo, Councillor Thaba Moyo refused to allow time for the MC to read the citation for one of the winners. The citation had to be read after the award’s presentation.
Further on, as confusion reigned during the night, a model had to come out from back stage to exchange an award and envelope with another one already on stage, thereby avoiding another mix up.
Were it not for emergency intervention measures, the organisers, and indeed the city of Bulawayo would have ended the night with egg on their faces. The confusion also cost various artistes, who include Winky Dee and Khuxman special mentions.
The ugly
Some of the dressing on the night by guests and the nominees themselves left a lot to be desired. While the call before the night was for guests to wear clothes by local designers, this did not happen as many turned up in regalia that belittled the importance of the occasion.
Not all can afford designer clothes but an effort should have been made to look presentable. Veteran poet and winner on the night Albert Nyathi turned up in casual wear in complete disregard of the night’s dress code, while Magesh dancer Ndlovu also showed up to receive his award as if he was going for one of his group’s performances.
While Ndlovu is young and maybe did not have a clear idea of what was required on the night, the same cannot be said of Nyathi who has been to numerous award shows and has an idea of what is required. The Chronicle
