Stop the beef—Tapps Bandawe

Veteran producer Tapps Bandawe, who on Saturday was decorated with the Lifetime Achievers Award during the Urban Music People (UMP) Awards, has called on urban artists to stop hate songs and unite for the good of the industry.

Tapps, who has over 30 years’ experience in the music and entertainment industry said urban music has gained ground and that it was time artists worked together.

“I would like to thank UMP for the Lifetime Achiever Award. I never saw it coming. But all I can say is that urban music is doing well, it is at the peak but we need to unite, let’s love each other and most of all work together to develop it,” Tapps said.

He said time for concentrating on hate songs was over and that it was now time to produce mature lyrics aimed at uplifting the industry but also speak for the voiceless.

“This is not the time to doing hate songs, that time is gone. There is more talent on the ground, all we need to do is hold hands, unite and work very hard. Doing beef will not take us anywhere,” he said.

The Lifetime Achievers Award which Tapps received is an accolade that is given to those that have enormously contributed to the growth of the country’s music industry and entertainment in general.

The accolade is part of the UMP Awards event. It was one of this year’s 18 categories.

The previous recipients of this award are Oscar Thomson (2016), Late Mafunyeta and Criminal A (2015), Late Vic Marley and Black Life Entertainment (2013) and producer Dynamike.

UMP publicist, Thoko Kadewere, said they considered it as a privilege to be able to recognise Tapps describing him as a living legend who continues to shape the sound of Malawi’s urban music.

Over the years, Tapps has worked with several artists producing their works and they include Soldier Lucius Banda.

Tapps said it has been long for urban music to gain the momentum and so it was only right and proper for urban artists to refrain from ‘beef’.

There have been cases on the ground where urban artists have been on each other’s throat and thus resorted to hitting on each other through songs.

Recently legendary musician Mtebeti Wambali Mkandawire also commended urban artists for the efforts they have made to put the genre on the limelight.

He however, said that despite the growth in terms of creativity, there was more room for improvement especially in their compositions.

Sonyezo Kandoje better known by his stage name Sonye also said urban music was now being taken seriously.

“Now you have seen the corporate world embracing urban music. People are also supporting us and so the ball is in our court to do better and be serious in our doings if we are to enjoy the fruits of this labour,” Sonye said.