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Uganda: Mayinja Sweeps PAM Awards
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New Vision (Kampala)
4 November 2007
Posted to the web 5 November 2007
Sebidde Kiryowa and Jude Katende
Kampala
THE fifth annual Pearl of Africa Music (PAM) Awards gala night took place last Saturday at the Lugogo Cricket Oval. Sebidde Kiryowa and Jude Katende bring you the low down
The Awards
Ronald Mayinja's victory in the most coveted category (artiste of the year) could be looked at in many ways.
One school of thought is that Bobi Wine's plagiarism scandals could have cost him the award whereas another is of the view that it was Mayinja's rightful time to glow.
What is undeniable is that if Mayinja has ever made his presence felt, it has been this year. The fact that he won Song of the Year Africa and Album of the Year Abalina Ssente, not to mention the Best Live Single attest to this.
A little balance is also good for the industry lest the winner becomes complacent. Sophia Nantogo's scoop of the Best female artiste could be seen in the same light as is Bebe Cool's winning of the Best Male Artiste.
That Mayinja and Natongo, the big winners of the night are artistes that have largely been ignored by PAM Awards voters before, goes to prove that this was a night for the underdogs.
For the rest of the awards, those who no doubt deserved their awards include first winner of the Night Utake Anthem (a collaboration between three East African hip-hop impresarios (Uganda's Bataka Underground, Tanzania's AY and Kenya's Jua Kali) mistakenly represented as solely Bataka Underground's.
Wilson Bugembe's win as Best Gospel Artiste and single for his Mukama Njagala Kumanya should not be quelled as is Henry Kiwuwa (Audio producer of the Year); Phillip Emuli (Eastern Artiste of the year); Blu*3's Burrn (video of the year); Silver Kyagulanyi (song writer of the year; Peter Mile's second victory in a row as Best Ragga artiste; Kigambo Araali's victory in the Best Cultural Artiste; Bosmic Otim (Northern Artiste of the Year) and Bobi Wine's win in the Afrobeat artiste and single categories.
It is just as well Gerald Kiweewa finally took home the Best Kadongo Kamu Single Ekyedalu.
That Michael Ross lost both RnB single and artiste categories to BLu*3's Ndibera Nawe and Juliana respectively, is regrettable.
Although Tigan's victory as Best New Artiste was deserving (he gets a recording contract in London), Clever J could have done just as well. Walukaga's win as Best Kadongo Kamu Artiste was uncontestable last year. This year, his fellow nominees actually did better.
The Performances
South African artiste, Ringo performed four songs including Sondela, a notch better than last year's guest artiste Mwazkhe Mbuli.
Besides vocals, his strength lay in instrumentation, which was sustained for a long time and accentuated by an energetic and thrilling dance performance from a queen dancer. Amidst ululations, Ronald Mayinja later sung Africa.
Like Qute Kaye, Mayinja also had "actors" accentuating the song portraying how the continent has been torn apart by among other factors, its leaders.
Sophie Nantongo performed well before she received her award for Best Female artiste, for which she knelt down to thank the voters and media. Welcomed by wild cheers, Bobi Wine and Nubian Lee performed Abalungi Balumya.
Wine later sparked off more excitement while performing Kiwani but the song was cut short by organisers. Bebe Cool and Annet Nandujja excited guests with their folkpop fusion Kamungolo which they performed in the company of back-up dancers. Kalikwan, Sweet Kid and Toolman also performed.
The pluses
The function started on time and the last item on the agenda (proclamation of the Artist of the Year) was done two minutes to midnight. Some of the performances were truly electrifying too. The catering was much better this time. The waitresses were available and the food was satisfactory.
The glitches
With all its pluses, it would seem that every year, something goes amiss. Saturday night's awards show was no exception, though, thankfully, there virtually were no cases of category mix-ups for artistes.
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Some of the glitches were not of the organisers' making; some were avoidable, whereas there were a few reckless ones.
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