Nama 2016 ‘may go down as one of the worst’

By Tinashe Kusema

Is there no end to the depths that the National Arts Merit Awards will sink to?

That seems to be the biggest question in the aftermath of the ceremony as critics and arts lovers try to decipher the colossal disappointment during last week’s Nama Awards.

This may go down as one of the worst editions of the show that I have seen in a long time.

I am just going to come out and say that everything that could have gone wrong during the ceremony went wrong.

Think of the seizure-inducing spectacle that most viewers, myself included, were forced to endure by our national broadcaster.

The sound and picture quality from ZTV were so out of sync, something that we thought was now a thing of the past.

I found the whole experience worse than watching either a Telemundo programme or an old Kung Fu movie.

There were so many interruptions in the feed such that one risked getting a seizure if they concentrated on the television screen for too long.

But from what I gathered, even those who managed to attend the show at the 7 Arts did not find the going easy either.

The two, or was it four, masters of ceremonies conspired to put the audience to sleep with their dry jokes and zero chemistry on stage.

However, I am prepared to let their dullness slide.

Question: did the night’s awards presenters have a script or something, or was it just that most of them were camera shy?

One after another, they all came out with the same damn thing “…the nominees are … and … the winner is . . .”

Thankfully, a few performers managed to liven up the show. In my view, Willom Tight and his son Gary’s performance was the highlight. That was a real Kodak moment for the old dog and his son. Hope Masike’s performance was also elegant.

The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe really needs to take a massive dose of self-reflection and address the manner in which they go about their business if the Nama fiasco is to improve.

How did Killer T walk away empty-handed while Winky D bagged two awards, one of which he did not deserve.

I mean, how does a song that was released last October be recognised as the Outstanding Song of the Year? Simple Mathematics will show you that the countless anthems by Killer T or Reverend Togarepi’s “Ebenezer” were outstanding for a longer time.

If there was any justice in the world, those songs should have been uncontested in the Outstanding Song of the Year category.

While it is possible for a late entry to win that award, that should only happen in the unlikely event that the year in question was a dry year. That was not the case in this instance, was it? Several songs stood out last year.

Awarding Winky D’s “Disappear” only proved that the organisers of the show are mostly concerned with public perception. They simply appeased public perception, mostly his avid followers.

The adjudicators also proved that they are out of touch with local music. I wonder if the people on that panel even know who Killer T is or at the very least, if they are able to comprehend the movement that is local dancehall music and its characters.

How does one cramp an entire year’s work into a single effort?

Awards should look at consistency, quality and even quantity.

NACZ needs to monitor artistes throughout the year and establish networks with music outlets in order to avoid such embarrassments.

As for the fabric prizes debacle, I do not intend to waste too much space talking about it.

No one ever said there should be prizes, monetary or otherwise, for a Nama. That gong has enough prestige and is recognition enough for any artiste to win and carry home with pride.

Next time, please leave the fabrics at home. At the very least, do not reveal what the winners will be taking home, unless if it is something really worthwhile.

Three meters of fabric, really?