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Raisedon Baya
THE Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards were announced last Friday. Like last year’s edition the announcement of nominees began the hyped-up last lap to the awards ceremony itself. This year’s edition is promising ‘‘an experience of a lifetime’’, especially after the coming in of United Refineries Limited as a title sponsor. Everyone in the arts sector is excited about the news and partnership.
Corporate endorsements of the arts is what the whole sector is continuously praying for. However, the road to a perfect awards system in the country is still far and long. We all have to do a lot, especially in raising our standards and getting more participants on board.
Winning an award is very special. It will put hairs on one’s chest. (Pardon the sexist metaphor). Winning an award is not even about money or the coverage that usually come with capturing the gong. It is usually a validation by the industry that you are doing good — a recognition of your efforts and talents.
More importantly it is a validation that you have the right product in the market or for the market.
As artistes it is always important to know that we make products for the market and not for awards. The market is more important than the awards as it is only the market that will sustain an artiste — there is no greater award to an artiste than a big thumbs-up from the market itself.
I believe all artistes worth their salt know this. Awards are, at most, a one-week event, but the market is always there.
The submissions for the #RoilBAA this year were more than expected. Over 2 500 nominations! Unlike last year the submissions were diverse, interesting, some were very professionally packed — which was very impressive. However, there were also a lot of submissions that were really bad. The presentations, packaging and even quality of products were not up to scratch, leaving many of the judges wondering why some people even bothered to submit.
Why would someone submit an unfinished job or a rushed project? Dirty CDs and DVDs labelled with magic marker, books whose pages are falling apart, blurred pictures, out of focus videos as supporting material.
NO! The simple logic is that if you or your products are not ready for the market then you’re not ready for any awards — in Bulawayo or any part of the world. It is just that simple.
The nomination process also proved that the awards can actually be used to audit the arts sector in Bulawayo and the region.
This audit can give us a clear picture of what is actually happening during the year, which artistes are active, which new artistes came into the sector during the year in review, which genres are more active or more popular.
The submissions really proved that there is a lot happening in our sector, especially on the grassroots, and either the media is not writing about it and/or there are very few platforms or opportunities to showcase the talent at grassroots.
More importantly the overwhelming response is testimony that our artistes, young and old, new and not so new, active and not so active, good and not so good, all want to be recognised and celebrated — and the awards are the only platform for that at the moment.
As Bulawayo we need to be constantly telling our creative that we appreciate their efforts and talent. An artiste’s life is a hustle, and hustlers never give up. Those who submitted works and did not make it to the nominees list sithi lingalahli imbeleko ngokufelwa.
We end this article by congratulating Thandokuhle Sibanda, of Mzilikazi High, for winning the Innaugural Lafarge Poetry Slam and walking away with $500. You were great!
Online Reporter