Building A Nam Music Industry

PLEASE allow me space in your newspaper to say something about the Sanlam/NBC music awards.

1. Judges What criteria are implemented by the judges to decide which music goes in which category? From whom are they taking examples (if not copying?) SAMA, Channel O Spirit of Africa Music Awards, Grammy, Golden Globe, or which? The fact of the matter is, like it or not, we have to take a leaf from someone else’s book like those I just mentioned. Who are those judges and what do they know about music? Were they or are they still musos? Did they study Arts specialising in Music and Dance? Are they working in the Art (Music) field? It does not mean because someone is an employee or an associate of Sanlam or NBC he or she knows music.Pumping up a sponsorship in the music industry does not make you an expert.2.Artist of the Year award (AOTY) How do they determine this using musos of different genres? Frankly, can we compare Kwaito with Gospel? For example, Tate Buti may lose in this category, but he may be the Best Kwiku Artist.The Dogg may win this award, but lose the Best Kwaito Artist.Then how weak is Tate Buti or how good is The Dogg? I mean how can one be the Artist of the Year yet lose in his or her area of specialisation? My suggestion is that this award should be done away with or be given a fitting title, e.g.Artists’ Artist of the Year and the public should not cast any vote in that case.Still on the AOTY, due to poor judgment and categories it looks like that award is meant for only either The Dogg or Gazza.In the true sense of music, is that award supposed to be won by the same artist over and over again? Is it still arts or it is now sports? Tiger Woods can win the US PGA Masters as many times as possible, but in Arts, especially Music, that is unrealistic.Another suggestion: no artist should win and be allowed to enter this category for the second time or lose and enter for the third time.This is music, it is like a beauty pageant.Michelle McLean will never enter the Miss World contest again.Never.It’s only in Namibia that you can win the main awards more than once, twice or even thrice for that matter.Nowhere else in the world.Huh!? 3.SMS voting system I like technology and I like the idea of giving the public a chance to vote for their favourite.I am saying ‘favourite’ which is not necessarily the best and most creative muso.The SMS voting system means if you have a vast majority of followers like The Dogg or Gazza then you are destined to win almost all the awards in the category that you have entered.That means some awards are won based on the popularity of the muso and not on the quality of his or her music.My suggestion: muso must be voted on merit not on popularity.Please lay out the terms and condition not just one SMS per phone number.4.2007 Awards Congrats to all who won this year, but they should just remember that some of them just scooped those awards because they are popular not because they are more creative than those who did not win.Hats off especially to Stanley and Tate Buti, as it has been long overdue.Ja, at last.To all those who did not win this year, don’t give up as one day you could be popular like The Dogg and Gazza and win as many awards as possible.Keep making your contribution to our Nammusic industry.5.General I am tired of the Dogg pretending to be a bad boy and hearing him say derogatory things about others.Please bro, bad language is bad for our music and your followers.Remember you have a lot of influence on the Nam music industry and its followers, but explicit expressions like the one at the recent awards is BAD.To everyone else, we are in this industry to build intellectually, socially, economically, and artistically and not to destroy or kill each other.Love y’all Nam musos.I rest my case.Shawn Benjamin Via e-mailWho are those judges and what do they know about music? Were they or are they still musos? Did they study Arts specialising in Music and Dance? Are they working in the Art (Music) field? It does not mean because someone is an employee or an associate of Sanlam or NBC he or she knows music.Pumping up a sponsorship in the music industry does not make you an expert.2.Artist of the Year award (AOTY) How do they determine this using musos of different genres? Frankly, can we compare Kwaito with Gospel? For example, Tate Buti may lose in this category, but he may be the Best Kwiku Artist.The Dogg may win this award, but lose the Best Kwaito Artist.Then how weak is Tate Buti or how good is The Dogg? I mean how can one be the Artist of the Year yet lose in his or her area of specialisation? My suggestion is that this award should be done away with or be given a fitting title, e.g.Artists’ Artist of the Year and the public should not cast any vote in that case.Still on the AOTY, due to poor judgment and categories it looks like that award is meant for only either The Dogg or Gazza.In the true sense of music, is that award supposed to be won by the same artist over and over again? Is it still arts or it is now sports? Tiger Woods can win the US PGA Masters as many times as possible, but in Arts, especially Music, that is unrealistic.Another suggestion: no artist should win and be allowed to enter this category for the second time or lose and enter for the third time.This is music, it is like a beauty pageant.Michelle McLean will never enter the Miss World contest again.Never.It’s only in Namibia that you can win the main awards more than once, twice or even thrice for that matter.Nowhere else in the world.Huh!? 3.SMS voting system I like technology and I like the idea of giving the public a chance to vote for their favourite.I am saying ‘favourite’ which is not necessarily the best and most creative muso.The SMS voting system means if you have a vast majority of followers like The Dogg or Gazza then you are destined to win almost all the awards in the category that you have entered.That means some awards are won based on the popularity of the muso and not on the quality of his or her music.My suggestion: muso must be voted on merit not on popularity.Please lay out the terms and condition not just one SMS per phone number.4.2007 Awards Congrats to all who won this year, but they should just remember that some of them just scooped those awards because they are popular not because they are more creative than those who did not win.Hats off especially to Stanley and Tate Buti, as it has been long overdue.Ja, at last.To all those who did not win this year, don’t give up as one day you could be popular like The Dogg and Gazza and win as many awards as possible.Keep making your contribution to our Nammusic industry.5.General I am tired of the Dogg pretending to be a bad boy and hearing him say derogatory things about others.Please bro, bad language is bad for our music and your followers.Remember you have a lot of influence on the Nam music industry and its followers, but explicit expressions like the one at the recent awards is BAD.To everyone else, we are in this industry to build intellectually, socially, economically, and artistically and not to destroy or kill each other.Love y’all Nam musos.I rest my case.Shawn Benjamin Via e-mail