HARARE - Dendera musician Suluman Chimbetu was jeered on Saturday at the National Arts Merit Awards (Nama) ceremony at 7 Arts Theatre in Harare for “controversially” winning the Outstanding Male Musician song.
Chimbetu won the award ahead of people’s favourite Tocky Vibes.
When Chimbetu jumped onto the stage to receive the contentious award, there was an uproar of disapproval in the crowd with fans chanting Tocky Vibes’ name but that did not stop Sulu, who was accompanied by his wife, from collecting the award.
To diffuse the palpable tension, the diplomatic Sulu, rather sarcastically, joined the crowd in calling out Tocky Vibes’ name.
Twenty-one-year-old Tocky Vibes was the most successful artiste at this year’s Nama awards ceremony where he picked two awards. The Mhai singer bagged the Outstanding Song and the Outstanding Album awards.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Chimbetu were fruitless as the artiste was not picking up his mobile phone. But his publicist Joe “Local” Nyamungoma told the Daily News that the dendera star deserved the gong.
“Hatidzori tsvimbo nekuti gudo rabata kumeso (We will keep on moving no matter what). The adjudicators were not looking at the final product in that category but rather considered the professionalism of the artiste,” he said.
“As far as I know, Sulu deserves to win that award considering the fact that he is very professional and he never failed to attend scheduled concerts or dupe any promoter.”
Nyamungoma added that controversy is normal in any awards.
“It is a known thing that awards are generally the most controversial ceremonies in the world and we were expecting that before we even came to the event.
“However, we are happy that we have won,” said the Orchestra Dendera Kings spokesperson.
Chimbetu won the award ahead of people’s favourite Tocky Vibes.
When Chimbetu jumped onto the stage to receive the contentious award, there was an uproar of disapproval in the crowd with fans chanting Tocky Vibes’ name but that did not stop Sulu, who was accompanied by his wife, from collecting the award.
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| Sulu booed at Nama awards |
Twenty-one-year-old Tocky Vibes was the most successful artiste at this year’s Nama awards ceremony where he picked two awards. The Mhai singer bagged the Outstanding Song and the Outstanding Album awards.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Chimbetu were fruitless as the artiste was not picking up his mobile phone. But his publicist Joe “Local” Nyamungoma told the Daily News that the dendera star deserved the gong.
“Hatidzori tsvimbo nekuti gudo rabata kumeso (We will keep on moving no matter what). The adjudicators were not looking at the final product in that category but rather considered the professionalism of the artiste,” he said.
“As far as I know, Sulu deserves to win that award considering the fact that he is very professional and he never failed to attend scheduled concerts or dupe any promoter.”
Nyamungoma added that controversy is normal in any awards.
“It is a known thing that awards are generally the most controversial ceremonies in the world and we were expecting that before we even came to the event.
“However, we are happy that we have won,” said the Orchestra Dendera Kings spokesperson.
