John Ekongo
14 October 2008
Big names in the music industry hogged the limelight away from home, while the yet-to-be held local music awards remain mired in controversy.
Namibian trio, Lady May, Gal Level duo of Frieda Haindaka and Daphne Willibad and The Dogg, whose real name is Martin Morocky, turned heads at the continental music channel awards, Channel O, of the subscriber network Digital Satelite Television (DSTV).
The trio took top honours at a Johannesburg glitzy awards ceremony that celebrated some of the biggest names in the music industry across the continent.
The Namibians shrugged off tough competition from notable competitors in their various categories to bring home the honours.
Perhaps the greatest achievement is that of Lady May, who at her debut appearance at the awards won first prize for her music video entitled 'Chokola'. The sultry performer famed for her flexible dance moves complemented equally by her self-designed outfits dispatched a reverberating line of established and revered artists such as South African renowned DJ Cleo, DJ Vetkoek and Leroy to claim the best dance video award.
For Daphne and Frieda, after two previous nominations to the awards, their persistence eventually paid off when they were rewarded with the best music video for the R&B genre.
They had to shrug off competition from South African superstar Danny K, Loyiso and former winner and Nigerian star 2Face Idibia with their video labelled 'Falling In Love'.
But the night was sweeter for The Dogg, when he scooped the top prize right under the nose of founder of the kwaito genre Arthur Mafokate.
Mafokate, who is revered as the pioneering giant of the kwaito, saw the title for best kwaito going to the Onayena raised star.
The Dogg's fusion kwaito track 'Can You Feel It' was enough to convince the judges that he deserved the first prize, thus making him the second Namibian artist to take the cake. Last year Gazza, real name Lazarus Shiimi, also took the same title with his video Mokasie.
"Spirits were high and the camaraderie and moral support was evident. It was truly a Pan-African event. Every year these awards reveal amazing developments in our music industry and video production which improves year upon year," announced Channel O General Manager, Yolisa Phahle, in a press statement issued by ThinkFudge communication on behalf of MultiChoice Namibia.
South African Afro-fusion band Freshlyground represented Johannesburg when they scooped the award for best southern African for the catchy tune 'Pot Belly". Others who were in the running for the same award included Ziqo, Gal Level, HHP and Taygrin.
Legendary jazz musician Jimmy Dludlu delivered a moving performance in tribute to his friend and mentor the late George Lee, this year's recipient of the Special Recognition award, who passed away on September 16 after a long battle with a disease of the nervous system.
All three Namibian victors at this year's Channel O music awards will be notable absentees at the 2008 Sanlam/NBC Music Awards to be held the first week of December.
The artists withdrew from this year's awards, citing among others personal reasons, unprofessionalism, wrong categorisation of artists and overall bad judgment in determining winners in some categories.
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