Gazza reigns
Huge accolade… One of the country’s popular musicians, Gazza, whose real name is Lazarus Shiimi, was on Saturday evening awarded the Artist of the Decade title. The award was bestowed upon at the grand finale of the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) held in Windhoek. Jazz sensation Rose Blvc scooped the Best Newcomer Award on the night. The NAMAs concluded after promoting local music for the past 10 years.
Lazarus Shiimi, popularly known as Gazza, has scooped the Artist of the Decade Award, the most coveted and sought after accolade at the finale of the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) in the capital over the weekend, while Jazz musician Rose Blvc walked away with the Best New Comer award.
The Chelete hitmaker was in the artist of the decade category with fellow musicians such as Oteya, Mushe, King Tee Dee, Lize-Ehlers, Exit and Blossom.
“Everyone nominated in this category is a winner with me. This is for the whole music industry; all the artists who have spent their time and money in studios making music to please the nation. It doesn’t matter what conditions we are in, especially now during Covid-19,” said Gazza.
He added: “This is for everyone who has been supporting us all the years. This is for our families, children and special people in our lives who support and encourage us to go on at times when we want to give up. This is for Namibia.”
Walking away with N$100 000, this means, he is the artist who has won the most accolades in the existence of NAMAs since 2011, with 19 accolades, including artist of the decade with a span of 16 years in the industry.
The show, which has had mixed emotions over the years about the way it is broadcasted, received positive responses from viewers on social media platforms, who still want MTC and the NBC to continue holding the fortress of taking local music to greater heights.
The show roped in musicians who took viewers on a golden oldie rollercoaster, with emotions running high; the likes of Exit stepped on stage, performing his old songs, followed by Ethnics, Killa B with ‘Eliko’, and Stanley with ‘Xamsaro’ and ‘Tse Tse Tse’. The stage got more heated with a hefty line up of other musicians who have braced their presence on different stages in the country, with Stella singing her forever memorable ballad ‘Kapepo’. She said being in the music industry for the past 10 years has been jolly and tough.
Rundu’s Capital K also took viewers down memory lane with his smash hit song ‘Tara Mathe’.
NAMAs executive Tim Ekandjo said it has been a beautiful journey organising and hosting the awards but the 10-year period has to be concluded.
“I should state that when we started this, we didn’t want fame; we wanted to transform the industry. It is sad for the two sponsors to be switching off the lights. The industry has to continue; it has to go on. We want to see quality music,” stated Ekandjo.
With the light off or slightly dimmed with the uncertainty looming about the future of the awards, the only hope is that someone jumps on the bandwagon of promoting local music and ploughs money into the industry by either continuing with the concept already established or coming up with a whole new award.
Entertainment Now! would like to congratulate all the winners of the NAMAs 2020 for their recognition throughout the eight-week broadcast of the awards.
- psiririka@nepc.com.na