Tafadzwa Zimoyo, Senior Arts Reporter
IN rare show of amity, organisers of the Zimbabwe Music Awards (Zima) have invited planners of “competing” events to be part of their ceremony tomorrow.
The country’s premier music awards ceremony will be held at Newlands Country Club where musicians and show promoters, among others, will be honoured at what is expected to be a red carpet affair.
Reason “Rizzla” Sibanda of Zima, Comfort “Boss Mbofs” Mbofana, who runs the Star FM Music Awards and Napoleon “Napster” Nyanhi, who is organising the National Arts Merit Arts Awards (Nama), have defied the odds by putting their egos aside to prioritise the advancement of the local arts industry by agreeing to help the Zima awards.
Between themselves, the Star FM Music Awards and Nama are actually just a week apart, yet there has been no animosity.
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Commenting on the rare show of unity among Star FM Awards, Zima and Nama organisers, Sibanda said: “The picture that has been painted before is that of competition. I don’t believe in competition. I believe in complementing each other.
“The success of all these awards institutions is a must in the development of the Zimbabwean music industry. We share notes on how we can improve each of the three awards. I should feel free to consult Napster, Comfort or any other awards organisers on any issue that might add value to Zima and vice versa.”
Sibanda said apart from consulting the two, he had gone a step further to invite them to tomorrow’s event.
“As Zima, we want to celebrate our musicians and create synergies in the development of the music industry,” he said.
“We have to work together for the sake of the industry.
“The artists must come first in all our efforts. We are just promotion agents, hence the spotlight must always fall on the musicians and their works.”
“Organisers pledged to give our artists the VIP treatment courtesy of a number of sponsores led by PPC Zimbabwe. The artists are our bosses and without them there is no Zima or any other awards ceremony to talk about.
“Competition focuses on the various institutions and removes the spotlight from the musicians and their works. The awards must be there to promote and develop the music industry and its support structures.”
Other sponsors of Zima 2020 are Wezhaz Executive Cars, Telone, Boomcity, Ingwebu, Nyaradzo and Smokehouse.
Zima opens the awards season in Zimbabwe, with the Star FM Music Awards taking place on February 22 followed by Nama a week later.
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– HERALD
