By Paul Owere
The awards season is upon us again and as usual they are never short of surprises.  
This week as everyone looked forward to a stiff competition not many could have anticipated that Diamond and Ali Kiba would have square it off in several categories.

Their nominations are reminiscent of  20%’s success last year where he  was nominated in five categories in which he ended up with a clean sweep.

Despite their success countrywide it turns out to be a battle of style and swagger as the two artistes certainly look to be destined for honours come April.

Diamond scored seven as compatriot Ali Kiba garnered six in some of the most prestigious categories including Artiste of the Year.

In all the four categories where the two are pitted, they emerge as the top contenders after their hits ‘Dushelele’ and ‘Moyo Wangu’ by Ali kiba and Diamond respectively dominated local charts and club airplay in the past year.

 The two artistes who continue to enjoy unrivalled success in the industry have been nominated in the Male Artiste of the Year, Song of the Year, Composer of the Year and Entertainer of the Year categories.

Diamond who made his debut in 2009 with hit single ‘Kamwambie’ which went on to collect three accolades at the 2010 awards has been on a steady rise since then.

His rise made him the second only Tanzanian artiste to be nominated at the prestigious MTV awards 2010 which were held in Lagos Nigeria. On that night his  performance alongside P-Unit at the awards left a landmark and even though he didn’t win the category he was nominated in, it confirmed something, a true talent had been unlocked.

Despite missing out on the awards in 2011, he went on to record songs like ‘Mbagala’, ‘Nitarejea’ before embarking on his current effort which saw him release ‘Mawazo’, ‘Moyo Wangu’ and ‘Nimpende Nani’.

In fact, unconfirmed reports state that he is the highest paid Bongo Flava artiste whose appearance fees at any concert is believed to be in the region of  Sh3 million.

 Ali Kiba who announced his arrival on the big stage with his debut single ‘Ciderella’ has not been any different as he stands as one of the most sought after artistes in the country and East Africa.

Though his earlier singles such as Cinderella did well, it was his association with the One8 group which featured seven prominent artistes from Africa including 2Face and Fally Ipupa that proved his international status.

The group went on to release a sensational hit single ‘Hands Across The World’ which was recorded at R. Kelly’s studios in Chicago US with Ali Kiba featuring prominently.

The compilation CD which featured his song ‘Mapenzi Yana Run Dunia’ was distributed across Africa attracting several admirers.

Despite having earned great airplay, the single needed a support act in form of Dushelele to get going and it was no surprise that it is the same hit that got Ali Kiba all the six nominations.

Throughout the year, he spread his Dushelele crusade across the country and not even a road accident accident in Mikumi could stop him.

All said, the fact that both artistes have a huge fan base that dissects the different social strata is likely to play a major role in who will eventually walk away with the golden microphone in April.

The Hakunaga factor
As the two wallow in the euphoria of their multiple nominations, there is one man who is likely to have a say on their way to glory.

The emergence of Suma Lee as one of the contenders in categories such as Best Video of  the Year, Song of the Year, Afro Pop is likely to give Diamond and Ali Kiba a run for their money.Apart from enjoying popularity in night clubs where it has got audiences dancing, the Kwaito inspired Hakunaga has become a sensation on both radio and TV stations.

This is despite the controversy that  continues  to surround the ownership of the song that some circles believe was done by a South African group.

Whether the former Parklane crew member violated copyright or not remains mere speculation and therefore a force to reckon with in the upcoming awards.

The curse of the new artiste
When MB Dog burst on the scene in 2005 winning three awards not many expected him to descend into oblivion almost beyond trace.  His later efforts were not anything comparable to his break-through single Latifa which also won the Song of the Year.

And as the results were released this week, last year’s New Artiste of the Year Linah seems to have caught the same cold as she followed the precedent by only getting only one nod.

Having enjoyed success on the self titled album and several tours, the THT graduate must have gone on vacation as even some of her releases such as ‘Angalau’ didn’t rise above the waters to convince the academy members.
In a year that was full of entertainment, new talent equally blossomed as names like Rachael, Darasa, Abdul Kiba, Ommy Dimpoz and Beatrice were thrown into the limelight.

The contest this time around is likely to be between starlet Rachael and rap sensation Darasa. The two were part of the Serengeti Fiesta contingent that thrilled audiences in 10 regions last year .

The two in their first year of performance have been nominated in two categories with Rachael’s ‘Kizunguzungu’ getting the Afro Pop category and Darasa’s ‘Sikati Tamaa’ featuring in the Best hip hop song of the Year.
The rise also reveals a common pattern as there are not many up and coming female artistes as opposed to their male counterparts.

Old guards
Despite snubbing the awards ceremony for two consecutive seasons Lady Jay Dee is in the thick of things again with four nominations alongside Isha Mashauzi.

The contest between the two artistes who are pitted in two categories remains an interesting spectacle just as whether Jay Dee will come good this time around to attend the event that honours the ‘Cream de la Creama’.
Her excuses last year were not valid, whereas in 2010 she left the event before the category she was vying for could be announced citing contractual obligations.

No albums
As we follow the news in the post nominations there is one thing that was startling in many ways, there are no albums categories. Given the pitfalls in the supply chain and  the rampant piracy, most artistes have chosen not to release albums.

According to organisers the lack of a credible system to track down the sales left them with no alternative but to strike out the albums category in all genres.
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