The Sunday News
ON Thursday the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe released the much anticipated 2015 Nama nominee list and since then social media platforms have been abuzz with Nama congratulatory messages and opinions. Of course, the National Arts Merit Awards (Namas) have never shied away from controversy.
While nominees were busy screaming and shouting with obvious excitement at their nominations some artistes, obviously not on the list, were already questioning the selection criterion. It’s always the same.
Each and every year there are artistes who feel the need to grumble and take a dig at the awards. Just recently there were loud calls for the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe (NACZ) to strip Jah Prayzah of an award he won last year because apparently the singer had “stolen” the song whose video won an award. Jah Prayzah has three nominations this year.
According to the NACZ communications manager, Catherine Mthombeni, there were about 606 entries for the 2015 awards. Arts Focus understands that out of the 606 entries Bulawayo had about a hundred entries — a good number if you ask us.
The only problem, as noted by the adjudication panel, is the quality of entries “did not portray the actual levels of artistic excellence and innovation” Zimbabwean artistes are known for.
Anyway of the 100 entries submitted by Bulawayo artistes and arts organisations, only 19 were shortlisted for various awards.
This year the city, and by default the whole Matabeleland region, is represented in the following categories: Literature, Dance, Spoken Word, Film, Poetry, Visual Arts, and Arts Promotion.
Of the 19 nominations the play Mbiko kaMadlenya which was produced to celebrate Bulawayo’s 120 years celebration got a whopping four nominations. Bulawayo’s most popular and most-travelled dance group Iyasa got three nominations. And as usual musicians from the region are conspicuous by their absence from the list, something which will not go unnoticed by local media.
So as local artistes celebrate their nominations, Arts Focus continues to applaud the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe for their resilience in hosting the awards in the difficult economic conditions Zimbabwe continues to swim.
Arts Focus couldn’t help but notice the mixture of the old and the young in several of the categories. It is also good to see that persistent performers continue to grace the nominee list; the likes of Sulu, Israel Israel, Iyasa, Forbes Mushipe and others.
Zim dancehall’s inclusion in the awards came as no surprise. Through Tocky Vibes and Killer T, the dancehall genre has finally claimed its spot on the awards podium. Since last year local dancehall artistes have been riding high, bringing in serious audiences to their performances. They truly deserve their spot on the high stage.
The awards ceremony is on 14 February in Harare and Arts Focus wishes all nominees the best.
On the same Thursday the Nama nominee list was announced the National Art Gallery in Bulawayo officially opened the Basket Case 2 exhibition. The exhibition is a unique collection of a body of works on basket weaving and designs curated by Rapheal Chikukwa.
Speaking during the launch of the exhibition Chikukwa said curating the exhibition was a collective experience. He noted that since the project involved different artistes from Africa and Europe it was all about diversity, collaboration and cultural exchange.
The basket weavers are mostly women from different parts of Zimbabwe; Binga, Lupane, Bulawayo, Honde Valley and Masvingo.
The most interesting thing about the basket weaving project was the interaction between local weavers, mostly rural women and European artistes who came into Zimbabwe to share and also to learn a unique Zimbabwean art from these local women.
The exhibition is a must see for those who believe in the excellence and beauty of Zimbabwe’s artistic products. The exhibition is running at the gallery in Bulawayo until end of March 2015.
