HARARE - Glitz and glamour were in short supply at the Zim Dancehall Awards ceremony on Wednesday night but that could not take the shine off Wallace ‘Winky D’ Chirumiko’s haul of four awards.
With his status as Zimbabwean dancehall’s leading light increasingly under scrutiny lately due to the emergence of a new exciting crop of chanters, the inaugural dancehall awards ceremony was indeed one to savour for the Ninja President.
The Musarova Bigman star scooped awards in the Best Social Message, Best Male Artiste 2013 and Best Live Performer categories. He also walked away with the Best Video and Choreography gong for Tsamba Kuvashakabvu.
The dancehall star was prevented from taking home five awards by Shinsoman whose song Mawaya Waya was chosen as the Song of Year in a very competitive field that included the Ninja President’s Mafirakureva, Guspy Warrior’s Ita Seunononga, Dadza D’s Dairai Dairai and Souljah Love’s Ndini Uya Uya.
To cap an outstanding night for Winky D, his manager Jonathan Banda was voted as the best artiste manager for 2013.
It was not entirely a Winky D night though as controversial Souljah Love marked his spectacular entry onto the Zimbabwean dancehall scene by winning the Best Collaboration Award and the Best Upcoming Artist Award that he shared with fellow Mbare-based chanter Killer T.
The Simudza Musoro singer, who made a grand arrival at the venue driving a yellow Hummer and attracted uproarious welcome when he sauntered into the awards venue with fiancée Bounty Lisa, was given the honour of making the final performance of the event.
The other notable award winners were Freeman, whose album New Chapta was voted the Best Dancehall Album for 2013, McInity who walked away with the Best Reggae Artiste gong and Seh Calaz who pocketed the Vocalist of the Year Award.
As expected Lady Squanda was voted the best female star but her award presentation was marred by some few awkward moments. For some strange reasons, the organisers of the award somehow found it appropriate to make Lady Squanda receive her award from ex-husband DJ Staera.
There was no disguising the controversial female chanter’s contempt for her ex-husband as she collected her gong but to her credit she didn’t let the moment spoil her party.
Despite starting late by over two hours and the momentary flare of violence from some dancehall fans who fiercely objected to Winky D’s triumph over Killer T in the Best Male Artist 2013 category, the awards were full of fun and spirit.
Given the fractious relationships among Zimbabwean dancehall artistes which were very much evident on the night, the organisers must be applauded for coming up with a fairly respectable ceremony. The truth of the matter, though, is that there is still a lot to be done to plug the administrative loopholes experienced by the dancehall awards whose patron is ZBC-TV newscaster Oscar Pambuka.
For the award organisers to retain their two sponsors Goldtech and Astro Mobile and bring on board more corporate partners, the next edition of the Zim Dancehall Awards must be a much more polished affair.
Zim Dancehall Awards 2013 list
Best Artiste 2013 (male) - Winky D
Best Artiste 2013 (female) - Lady Squanda
Best Collaboration Jah Love and Celo Culture – Minana
Best Vocalist - Seh Calaz
Song of the Year Mawaya Waya – Shinsoman
Best Social message Mafirakureva – Winky D, and Positive – Jay Cee
Best Live Performer - Winky D
Best Riddim - Zimbo Flavour
Best Producer - Sunshine
Best Upcoming Artiste - Killer T and Souljah Love
Best Video and Choreography - Tsamba Kuvashakabvu, Winky D
Best Album - Freeman – New Chapta
Best Artiste from Outside of Harare - Crystal
Best Dance Hall Dance Group - Ghetto creepers
Best Artiste Manager - Jonathan Banda (Winky D)
Best Reggae Artiste - Mic Inity
Most Promising Artiste - Terminator