SA music celebrated

So, the SA Music Awards finally took place this weekend. What an event it was watching it on TV!

Well, there were some big winners and deserved winners. I should say most, if not all, of the winners were deserving. SA music is really growing. Last week I provided an overview of some of the SA artists, including Mafikizolo, Lira and Bouga Luv. Boy, am I glad these were mentioned among the winners last Saturday night!

But let me give a brief lowdown on some of the major winners.

Simphiwe Dana

Man, this lady rocks! She won both the prestigious “Best Female Artist” and “Album of the Year” awards! Her well-renowned “The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street” album also won her the SAMA for “Best Contemporary Jazz Album” and “Best Vocal Jazz Album”.

I should say she deserved them all. This woman from the Eastern Cape (although now much Joburgised) is made of powerful stuff. Her voice is powerful! I remember the first time I heard her sing that song in Yizo Yizo 2 (or was it 3?) soundtrack & I thought “wow, who’s voice is that?” She since came to the fore so well.

Her debut album, “Zandisile”, came out & it earned her a SAMA for “Best Newcomer” in 2005. I was so impressed with the “Ndi Ready” (I’m Ready) track in that album. But now she’s flying higher with the “One Love Movement” album. Forget the long album title, the music is mature & exposes her maturity quite well. I hope to write more about in the near future. For now, it’s “congratulations, Sista! Keep up that great work!”

Mafikizolo

My favourite duo won the “Best Duo/Group Album” and the new SAMA “Best Compilation DVD” for “Mafikizolo: The Hits”. I like this group – their image, their voices & their dance. They make me feel comfortable being a Black brotha from SA. They remind you the old apartheid South Africa still had Blacks who had style & who knew how to get around. They bring Sophiatown back to the present.

In their “O Tswa Kae” track, they do “izinyokanyoka” dance so well. They’ve really re-emerged & seem to have left Malaika & others behind them. I hope Malaika & Guffy (their producer) will come back stronger. Not that I advocate an unhealthy, pride-driven competition between the 2 acts, but they are leaders in the African pop category. Competition should make them better, but I still tip Mafikizolo to grow even further. Big up you “twins”!

Bouga Luv

Well, well, well, he’s the last Kwaito man standing & he outran my homeboy L’vovo Derango! Kabelo (Bouga Luv’s real name) has been at the helm of Kwaito since the mid-90s and I’m yet to see another Kwaito star unseat him. His “Exodus” album won him the “Best Kwaito Album” SAMA. That “Dubula” track has really won the hearts of Kwaito fanatics. Strange because I really thought it was just a nice track – nothing more (see my update of 13 April). But I’ve been proven wrong & I’m happy still. I’m a Kwaito fan & I believe this genre is yet to grow even further, contrary to the popular belief that it will soon die.

Plus Bouga Luv was the host of the SAMAs this time, and did very well. His live performance with L’vovo & Thebe (another Kwaito stalwart) was something! Man, I felt “this is Kwaito as I used to know it”! It reminded me of the great Kwaito combination of Spikiri, Oskido, Mandoza, Tokollo and Stoan in “Vat en Sit” – the best Kwaito combination I’ve ever seen. Can’t wait to hear Bouga Luv’ 2007 summer album!

Siphokazi

This girl from KwaXhosa is another one for the future if she keeps dishing the stuff similar to the one in her debut “Ubuntu Bam” album. The debut album won her 2 SAMAs. First it was the “Best Newcomer Award” beating off fierce competition from Maduvha, RAE and Lesego, amongst others. She also won the “Best Adult Contemporary Album: African” at the Friday ceremony. I’m yet to listen to all the tracks in her album but Siphokazi has a great voice.

With voices like hers and those of Zamajobe, Lira, Swazi Dlamini, Simphiwe Dana and Thandiswa Mazwai, South Africa has a reason to smile & hope for a brighter music future. I just hope Siphokazi sees a reason to remain humble & avoid the temptation of becoming too lofty & unreachable because of success, something many a local artist has done to their detriment & fall. May God help her!

Vusi Mahlasela

One of the veterans of SA music re-emerged to beat Bouga Luv, Paul Hanmer, Bheki Khoza and Musa Manzini for the “Best Solo Male” award. Vusi has been around and is an internationally acclaimed act. His producer and engineer, Lloyd Ross, went on to win the “Best Engineer” award to show this album has so much quality in it.

Vusi is one of those who are some sort of guiding light for the younger musicians of our beloved country. He’s close friends with his guitar & I’m convinced as long as his fingers can still click the stringed instrument, we’ll continue to hear more good sounds.

DJ Sbu

Ok, he’s a handful, energetic, charismatic & even controversial for some, but DJ Sbu is on it. The former YFM DJ has been raking in awards left, right and centre as “Mzekezeke”, and now that his mask is now off, he’s taking them in purely as “DJ Sbu”. I liked “Remember When It Rained” dance track but I thought it wouldn’t beat DJ Cleo’s “Eskhaleni” and others. But, well, he won the "Most Popular Song of the Year" category. The young ones really take to Sbu, whether he presents “Friends Like These” on SABC1 or “The Breakfast Show” on Ukhozi FM. Big up mfan’ omdala (old boy) but just keep your feet to the ground & you’ll reach even higher!

Well, that’s just some of the SA artist. Our music is on the rise & the world is beginning to take notice. I will continue profiling other artists mainly in the popular Kwaito, Pop, R&B and Gospel categories over the next weeks. For now, this just beautiful South Africa!