Veteran musician Coss Chiwalo, who stars with Alleluya Band and Tiwonge Hango alongside Samuel Chiwaka, who used to manage musician Faith Mussa, have been named among the regional winners in Southern Africa in the inaugural African Music Academy Awards.
Apart from Chiwalo, Chiwaka and Hango, the list also has Damascus Phiri from Malawi with Pompi and Cleo Ice Queen from Zambia.
In West Africa, the list has Smarty (Burkina Faso), Petit Jeano (Burkina Faso), Petit Miguelito (Benin), Max Solo (Burkina Faso), San Rémy Traoré (Burkina Faso) and Somssaya (Burkina Faso).
The list also has winners from East Africa, North Africa and Central Africa.
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Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) Board Chairperson Bishop Reverend Chimwemwe Mhango, who is the Ama regional delegate responsible for 10 countries in Southern Africa, said he gave the responsibility on the issue to Musicians Union of Malawi.
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“I just work with various bodies to complete the assignments. Other countries responded late and hence will be part of the awards next year” Mhango said.
Chiwaka said yesterday that he did not know it will go this far.
“I know that I was asked to submit Faith music at some point this year. We are honoured that Malawi music is being recognized and accepted slowly,” he said.
Hango of the ‘Mama Africa’ fame also said he submitted information after being contacted.
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“Yes I am aware we submitted the stuff but I did not know it was that big,” he said.
According to musicinafrica.net, the African Music Academy (Ama) founded in 2014, aims to promote pan-African music from the continent and the diaspora through education, professional actions and dedicated awards.
It further indicates that its founding members include Angélique Kidjo, Chris Blackwell, Wally Badarou, Jean-Noël Tronc, Blick Bassy and the late Manu Dibango, among others.
Its board includes African Music Academy president Wally Badarou, Blick Bassy, Solagne Cesarovna and Nato Seck.
For this first edition, 72 national winners were designated on March 31, and that they are already de facto members of the academy. They in turn elected the regional winners via online voting.
“These regional winners will finally have to elect the overall winners from June 1, and the academy will be able to announce the results from June 20,” reads the statement.
Badarou said with the aim of representing the voice of the industry, “these awards are presented to the winners by their own peers from the continent and the diaspora, starting with the professional organisations, mandated to nominate the winners in each of the six categories selected this year: songwriters, composers, lead performers, musicians, executive producers and managers.”
