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By Mthabisi Tshuma, Email: [email protected]
South Africa-based radio station Amaqhawanentaba FM, wholly owned and run by Zimbabweans, continues its mission of promoting artistes from the SADC region by honouring them annually.
Topping the charts for 2024 was Zimbabwean Maskandi artiste Nqam’Ebomvu with the song Ngisize Gologo. Zimbabwean gospel act Khenile Dube secured second position with the track Ngiyohlala Ngithandaza, followed by Zimbabwean-born gospel group Amakholwa Enkosi in third place with Unqobe Kanjani. South African Maskandi songstress Thuliswa Mxabo claimed fourth position with her production Umjolo, and South African-born Maskandi artiste Lindokuhle Mkhize rounded out the top five with the track Umthakathi.
The ultimate winner walked away R10,000 richer, along with a trophy and a certificate. Artistes in positions two to five received trophies, certificates, and live radio interviews, while those ranked six to 17 were granted live radio interviews aimed at promoting their careers.
Amaqhawanentaba FM station manager David Moyo expressed satisfaction with the increased participation of artistes in this year’s competition.
“The competition for the Top 10 was tight. Every one of them put in a lot of effort, showing that they were all hungry for the first prize. Positions kept changing daily until the last two weeks, when the overall winner pulled ahead of the chasing group.
“This year’s competition attracted many newcomers, the majority of whom were from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa,” said Moyo.
He added that the station would continue with the competition as a means of boosting artistes’ morale and encouraging them to produce quality work.
“We want to help cultivate a sense of pride in one’s work among artistes and support them in sustaining longer careers in the music industry. Many give up too early, especially if they feel their productions are not well received. These awards also bridge the gap between emerging artistes and those who have already established names in the industry.
“The awards help bring people of different cultural backgrounds and beliefs under one roof. This year, we saw the inclusion of Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, and Zulu cultures in the competition. This diversity brought excitement, and we believe it will lead to collaborations between artistes from different genres in the near future,” said Moyo.
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