Published by the government of Zimbabwe
6 October 2008
Harare — ZIMBABWE Music Awards have scrapped the Chimurenga music category and replaced it with the socially conscious lyrics category, an official said last week.
Announcing this year's categories, deputy chairperson of the adjudication committee and television personality, Terence Mapurisana said they did not have enough entries for the category.
"We have taken the decision to drop off Chimurenga category and replaced it with Socially Conscious Lyrics category because there are very few chimurenga musicians and let alone those who released anything for this year.
"It is only Dr (Thomas) Mapfumo who is still doing it but again he did not release anything new for this year," Mapurisana revealed.
However, this is besides the fact that Raymond Majongwe released a scorcher of an album titled Dhiziri PaChinhoyi, which falls under the Chimurenga category.
Anyone who has listened to Majongwe's album will agree that it is purely Chimurenga music unless Zima judges decide otherwise.
In fact, most fans have mistaken his voice to that of Dr Mapfumo while pirates made a killing from this confusion.
Besides scrapping the Chimurenga category, they have introduced another category -- Most Promising Artiste for both Male and Female, previously this was just one category.
All in all, there are 26 categories something which tends to make the awards event a mere parcelling out of trophies to all and sundry.
Looking at the categories this year, it undoubted that the Mass Choral award will be the talking considering that International Apostolic Faith Mission have been topping the charts with their album Dzika Mutumwa that features the Track Jehovha Ndibatsireiwo
Another category that is likely to generate a lot of interest from listeners is Best Tshibilika/Ekhaya as seen over the years this award has been given to the wrong groups whose music was wrongly categorised.
In the urban grooves category we have seen more ragga dancehall Djs the likes of Winky D and King Labash making heat waves.
This year's ZIMA ceremony will for the first time be held in Bulawayo but, however, organisers are still to announce the dates and the venue of the event.
This year's categories are as follows:
Best Gospel (Male/Female)
Best Urban Grooves (Male/Female)
Best Traditional/Contemporary
Best Jazz
Best Sungura
Best Choral
Best Mass Choral
Most Promising Artiste (Male/Female)
Song of the Year
Best Video of the Year
Best Live Performance of the Year
Best Male Artiste
Best Female Artiste
Socially Conscious Lyrics
Best Producer of the Year
Most Popular Cell phone Music ring tone
Best Producer of the Year
Musician from SADC who has been well received in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean Musical Ambassador
Best Tshibilika/Ekhaya Music
Best Mbira
Best Mbaqanga
Best Imbube
Cheuka Shure/Bekhe Emuvha . . .Special Recognition by a Musician
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