Gramma, Zmc to Reintroduce Music Awards
GRAMMA Records and the Zimbabwe Music Corporation will tomorrow reintroduce music awards by honouring 17 musicians who sold more than 15 000 copies and more between 2005 and 2006.
The awards ceremony will be held at the 7 Arts Theatre in Avondale, Harare, where musicians will get discs and monetary tokens.
Once popular with musicians, the awards were discontinued in 1989 at the request of some musicians who did not want their earnings to be known.
“We have been asked by some musicians to reintroduce the awards programme. For us, it’s a way of appreciating our artistes and encouraging upcoming ones to work hard,” said Helen Venganai, Gramma Records and ZMC spokesperson.
Venganai said those who sold 15 000 copies would be given platinum status, with those who sold 30 000 copies earning double platinum status, and those who sold three times as much being accorded the triple platinum status.
“You must appreciate that the period we are looking at was the most difficult in terms of distribution because of the demolition of flea markets,” she explained.
Although Venganai did not give names, it’s common knowledge that musicians such as Alick Macheso, Tongai Moyo, Nicholas Zakaria, Olivia Charamba, Cephas Mashakada, Njerama Boys and ZCC Mbungo Stars are in the running for the awards.
Some of the musicians who won the awards in the past are the late Leonard Dembo, Paul Matavire, John Chibadura, Zexie Manatsa, Oliver Mtukudzi, and James Chimombe.
The reintroduction of the awards is likely to ease the National Arts Merit Awards and the Zimbabwe Music Awards’ burden of picking best artistes in the two companies stable.
[Via The Herald ]
