Kavango Music Awards launch on this month
By Rosalia David
THE long-awaited Kavango Musical Awards (KAMA) will be launched for the second time on June 27 at the Rundu Auditorium with more than 10 musicians scheduled to perform at the event.
The official launch of the awards had to be split in two so as to encompass all music lovers in the area, with the first launch having taken place in Kavango West in March.
The launch date was confirmed by the founder and director of the awards ceremony Isa Saidi who said that the team is finally ready to award deserving musicians based in the Kavango region.
“The actual event was supposed to take place on 27 June but due to the state of emergency call we are looking at having the main ceremony in September or October. For now, we are only going to announce our sponsors on that night,” he revealed.
The awards are meant to recognise Kavango music, which has for many years not been recognised at national level, and will be held annually according to Saidi.
“The idea of hosting KAMA came about when we realised there is a lot of talent in the two Kavango regions that is not being recognised,” Saidi said.
He went on to say that KAMA is strictly run by a group of volunteers that share a common goal “to recognise and expose local Kavango music as they have not been renowned for a long time”.
Saidi further said that they are aiming at making the award ceremony the next biggest thing in the local entertainment industry while unifying artists at the same time.
“We are really pushing and who knows, we might just become the next big thing like the Namibian Music Awards because we believe this can really work. Artists have been craving to perform for long so we thought why not have them on stage at the launch.”
Musicians such as MGee, Zhondie, Chicano Family and Shediva amongst many others will be performing at the launch.
Saidi also mentioned that the nominated musicians have offered manpower to assist with the construction of 40 zinc houses for the San community in Nkurenkuru.
The winners in the following categories will each receive a cash prize of N$5 000:
Best Soukous/Kwasa
‘Ufuku’ – Allen Jonathan ft. Savindjele
‘Carolina’ – Chicano Family ft. Chezster B-Killer
‘Ose Vantu’ – Puppy ft. Sese Yambulya Ngandu and Monkey Du
‘Mariah’ – Jbeats
Best Afropop
‘Believe Me Mama’ – Zhondie ft. Bones Yamukongo
‘Dance’ – Italiano
‘Ncinci Tjokola’ – M-Gee ft. Bones Yamukongo, Zhondie, Jittah
‘Nankero’ – Big Mich
‘Kulikonakona’ – 2Bu
‘African Beer’ – Sean Blizzy
‘Nkare Vaya Mudipage’ – DJ Malyamungu
‘Evaya’ – Ayce
Best Kwaito
‘Foromani’ – Blacky Bantwan ft. Zhondie and Jbee
‘Party Tonight’ – Chicano Family ft. Taurus
‘Friday Night’ – Mtato Boys
‘December’ – Jitta ft. Patrick (PDK)
‘Upingwe’ – Puppy
‘Nyokokuru’ – Zhondie
‘Saronda Mpadi’ – The Converse
‘Epata’ – Tutor of Love
Best Traditional
‘Wahalivingilika’ – Sean Blizzy
‘Vakwangombe’ – DJ Malyamungu
‘Tambula’ – Allen Jonathan
‘Usigona Wange’ – Black Bantwan
‘Kafunga Kami’ – The converse
‘Udano Wompo’ – Chokwe Queen
‘Kina’ – Nyemba Boss
Best Single
‘December’ – Jitta ft. Patrick (PDK)
‘Dance Me’ – Ali West
‘Pull da Trigga’ – Ayce
‘Ezuva Limwe’ – Flavour Shediva
‘Instagram’ – Italiano
Best Male Artist of the Year
Zhondie – ‘Matokoro’
M-Gee – ‘Ncinci Tjokola’
Jitta ft. Patrick (PDK) – ‘December’
Allen Jonathan ft. TKB – ‘Sihorasange’
Best Female Artist of the Year
Flavour Shediva – ‘Ezuva Limwe’
Chokwe Queen – ‘Udano Wompo’
Kaybee – ‘Ruhakitho’
Kasandra – ‘My Life’
Best Upcoming Male Artist
Mtato Boys – ‘Kaume’
2Bu – ‘Hedera Pwange’
Blacky Bantwan – ‘Step Out’
Lannah – ‘Ndahafa’
Best Gospel
‘Tulirongeni Bibeli’ – Puppy
Best Kizomba
‘I Know You Want Me’ – Italiano
‘Gusirangepo’ – Mtato Boys
Best Song of the Year
‘Italiano’ – Italiano
‘December’ – Jitta –ft. Patrick (PDK)
‘Pay Day’ – M-Gee
‘Nzira’ – TKB
Best Collaboration
‘Tjo’ – Flavour Shediva ft. TKB
‘I Am Sorry’ – Allen Jonathan ft. Nancy and Solla
‘December’ – Jitta – ft. Patrick (PDK)
‘Chakalaka Woowo’ – Chicano Family ft. Zhondie, TKB, Sean Blizzy, Kazlajaivas and Skinny Fella
‘Friday Night’ – Jbeats ft. Sturridge, Oswaldo, Bertha and Yazz
‘Believe Me Mama’ – Zhondie ft. Bones Yamukongo
‘Celina’ – UnoBoy ft. TKB
‘Easy to Please’ – House Guru Gang ft. Gazza
‘Ndiwe’ – The Converse ft. Jerry D
‘Yoyo Yeni’ – Sean Blizzy ft. Zhondie and Challo
‘Hedera Pwange’ – 2Bu ft. Jbeats
‘Wedding Day’ – Kasandra ft. Chezster
‘Ama SBZ’ – Mtato Boys ft. The Vippers
Best House
‘Let it Fall’ – DJ Malyamungu
‘Lovisa’ – Chicano Family
‘Mosauyemwa’ – The Converse
‘‘We Are No. 1’ – Tutor of Love
‘Blesser’ – Sean Blizzy
‘Yodo’ – 2Bu
‘Kulimonekesa’ – Nyemba Boss
‘Bad Neighbours’ – House Guru Gang
‘Teka’ – Kasandra
Best Music Video
‘Let it Fall’ – ‘DJ Malyamungu
‘Ngoma ya Kuku’ – Allen Jonathan
‘Namesho’ – Chicano Family
‘Kangumbe’ – UnoBoy
‘Nzira’ – TKB
‘Believe me Mama’ – Zhondie