Stiff Contest for ZAA International music award

By Arts Correspondent

 

LAST year the Zimbabwe Achievers Awards (ZAA) launched its International Music Artiste award category. The inaugural honour in 2013 was scooped by British-based Zimbabwean producer Rodney Rymez Hwingwiri, who wrote his own unique piece of history when he was awarded gold and silver plaques after two of his productions reached number one and four respectively on the UK charts.

 

The award has proved very popular with the public, who have participated enthusiastically in nominating and voting for their favourite artistes. ZAA specifically made this award an international one because Zimbabweanmusic has entertained audiences around the world for generations now.

 

Indeed, it’s been a long musical journey since ‘Hurricane Hugo’ Thomas Mapfumo whipped across the United States in a blast of mbira-fuelled Chimurenga music in the 1980s. The Bhundu Boys picked up the mantle in the 1990s, rocking audiences across the UK with their Jiti sound and becoming a household name on the British cultural scene.

 

And as the 20th century gave way to the 21st, Tuku emerged as our foremost musical ambassador in the 2000s, taking us to world-famous platforms like the WOMAD festival and jamming alongside the best of World Music stars.

 

But following in the footsteps of these legends of song and dance, a younger generation of artistes has emergedand it’s not allowing national borders to hem it in. Showcasing their musical ingenuity and creativity, these emerging cultural ambassadors are flying the Zimbabwean flag high, and it is only fitting that they’re given their due recognition.

 

This year’s nominees are mbira maestro and songstress Hope Masike, trailblazing singer and hitmaker Jah Prayzah, Afro-fusion band Mokoomba, UK-based music royalty Aaron Manatsa & the New Green Arrows, and hip-hop duo Tehn Diamond and Junior Brown.

 

The winner will be unveiled at the ZAA gala dinner, to be held on 10 May at the plush Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London. Over the next few days, we will profile each of these acts.

 

We kick off with the Princess of Mbira…

Hope Masike

 

Affectionately known as the “Princess of Mbira”, Hope Masike has become the modern day custodian of the revered mbira musical instrument that has provided thecultural soundtrack to the Shona people of Zimbabwe going  back to antiquity.

 

Peeved by colonial prejudices that stereotyped the mbira as pagan or unchristian, Masike embarked on a rehabilitative mission by taking into Jazz and lately, gospel music as well.

 

The fast-rising mbira maestro, singer, songwriter, artist and fashion designer has etched herself onto the consciousness of music fans at home and abroad as a serious talent. A graduate of the Zimbabwe College of Music, Masike already boasts two studio albums, ‘Hope’ and ‘Mbira Love & Chocolate’.

 

Released in 2009, Hope saw Masike dig deep into her roots to find her own sound as a portrait of the highs and lows of her life in Zimbabwe and her position in it. Her songs on the album were filled with richness that inspired and revived the soul.

 

‘Mbira, Love and Chocolate’ came tree years later in2012. This diverse album was recorded in Norway with Norwegian artists: bassist Rino Johannessen and Drummer Ole Pette Chyile; and in Zimbabwe with renowned Zimbabwean producer Clive 'Mono' Mukundu.

 

Watch Because of You: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjBtYP4aQuc

 

2013 was a particularly rewarding year for Masike. Sheperformed at the world-famous Harare InternationalFestival of the Arts (HIFA) in a well-received regional collaboration with famous young South African pianist Bokani Dyer and Mozambican saxophonist Muzila Mulembe. They went on tour to AZGO Festival inMaputo and Bushfire Festival in Swaziland this May.

 

She crowned the year’s achievements by being awarded the NAMA award for ‘Outstanding Female Artist 2012’ and rounded it off by going on tour, playing gigs inFrance, Norway, Denmark, and UK, before returning formore shows in South Africa and Zambia.

 

The collaborative album deal she struck with French DJ Oil and South Africa’s Bokani Dyer will thrust her firmly into the international spotlight. “I believe it shall earn me the much needed international standards since he is the one who is going to mix and master the project in France,” she said on the sidelines of HIFA last year.

What to wear to the awards ceremony

With only 3 weeks to the awards ceremony (10th May 2014), a lot of our guests are probably wondering what to wear to the event. The dress code is black-tie which means glamorous dresses for the ladies and smart suits for the men. It will be great to se everyone conform to the expectations and show the world #ZimbabweansKillingIt 

For the ladies... 

This long dress is a great colour and would look good on most skin tones and body shapes. 

You can make a short dress look glam by  teaming them up with great accessories and a good hairdo. It will be easy to move around in especially for the after party cause you can easily get on the dance floor and show your moves 

For that WOW factor, this look will most definitely dazzle and make you the centre of attention. 

For the guys, with a classic tuxedo jacket, trousers and a bow tie you can never go wrong. Add a colour bow tie and pocket square for a outfit with a difference. Why not wear a velvet blazer instead for that suave look. A few ideas are below. 

Follow a great blogger, the perfect gentleman @baisonkugz on Instagram for some great outfit ideas 

Let's all come together and celebrate Zimbabweans on the 10th of May in London and put Zim on the map!

***Photo credits go out to fashionbombdaily.com ****

ZAA 2014 Celebrating Zim Independence

The Zimbabwe Achievers Awards (ZAA) have announced a special Independence discount on tickets to this year's event to be held on the 10th of May at the prestigious Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London.

From the 17th to the 21st of April, tickets will be available for £79.95, a generous £10 cheaper than the going price. ZAA executive director Brian Nyabunze said the special discount was a gesture of goodwill to the community in commemoration of Zimbabwe's 34th independence anniversary, which has this year coincided with the Easter holiday.

"We thought it would be good to extend this gesture of generosity to our community on the occasion of our country's independence. The awards are almost here and we've pulled out all the stops to ensure a great experience to all our guests on the night," Nyabunze said.

Tickets are available on the ZAA website. This year the organisers have introduced a world class ticketing system that allows guests to choose and pay for their seats entirely online.

Sponsored by the new money transfer company ZimPay, this year's awards will give special  honour to the achievements of young people. An exciting lineup of performers has also been put together to entertain guests.

Now in their fourth year, ZAA celebrate the achievements of the Zimbabwean community in the UK.

ZAA 2012 Fashion Highlights

ZAA 2012 ,  was most definitely a night to remember in Zimbabwean fashion history.  Men rocked tuxedos and bow ties and some in tuxedo and tie combinations. Ladies wore African designs, long gowns and shorter ones.  Bold colours, pastels,  prints, and black and white all featured. Zimbabweans pulled out all the stops on the red carpet that night. If you are a Zimbabwean fashionista, this was one night not to be missed.

Chipo Chung (above left) made us green with envy in an embellished top half v-neck dress by UK-based designer, Adele Kaseke of Curvyswan. She finished off this ensemble with a swept back pixie cut. 

Viola Ncube (above right), winner of The Female Entrepreneur of the Year award glammed it up in a white studded dress by Versace for H&M, accessorised with a green chiffon scarf down her left shoulder. her legs looked to-die-for in the green-shimmered 6 inch heels.

Conrad Mwanza,the founder of ZAA looked very dapper in a tuxedo that he spiced up with a polka dot bow-tie and pocket square. To compliment his ensemble, his wife Aisha Guest wore an Afro print green and white dress. A best dress nominee.

 A red one shoulder dress, with a side ruffle and embellishment worn by the gorgeous,  Charlene Mukuzvazva, who won the Event and Promoter of The Year award was definitely a winner. She complimented this ensemble with a two-toned, side swept hair-do. Charlene, you are on our best dressed list.

 Tawanda Chiwira,  the two- time Olympian, dressed to impress in a three-piece tuxedo. The black blazer and white shirt combined with the polka dot tie made the whole ensemble pop against his skin tone. He was accompanied by his stylist pregnant wife, El Cee Chic, who styled him on the night. She wore an orange-red ruched top-half grecian-style dress, glammed up by the short bob. This couple looked di-vine.

Shingai Shonhiwa (above left) dressed like a star in a very fashion-forward short bustier  pvc-leather dress with a braided up-do

Cynthia Hungwe showed up in her own design, looking tre chic, wearing. a tribal print skirt and bow-tie, topped off with a black blazer. Her hair was worn in a cool pompadour. She looked very original.

Dennis Mawazi, winner of The Company of the Year Award looked very elegant in his tuxedo, he finished this look off with a red bow-tie.

 Blackarmoor fashion designer of the year Gray Rwangah did not disappoint in a grey tux worn with a wine-red bow-tie, and a dapper cap

There were many other guests who were dressed up to the nines. This undoubtedly was one night not to under dress. Let's see what the fashion future holds for ZAA 2013. Can't wait.

2013 is going to be a bigger and better event... Look-out for fashion advice and tips in the next couple of weeks all in time for this years awards event on Saturday 20th of April 2013

Zimbabwe Achievers' photostream

Zimbabwe Achievers' photostream on Flickr.

The ZAA 2012 WINNERS

Special Category

Academic Award – Dr. Winston Mano

Lifetime Achievement Award – Mr Vuli Mkandla

Chairman’s Honorary Award – Strive Masiyiwa

Conservation Award – The Zambezi Society

Tourism Award – Wild Zambezi

Outstanding Achievement – Marjorie Ngwonya

Young Achievers Award – Nyasha Matonhodze

Friends of Zimbabwe Award – Prof. Terry Ranger

People’s Choice Award – Betina Sibanda

Business

Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Viola Ncube

Male Entrepreneur of the Year – Dr. Charles Mazhude

Company of the Year – Renaissance Personnel

Business Innovation of the Year – Tinaye Munonyara

Sports and Culture

Fashion Designer of the Year – Haranga Afrik Klodz

Urban Fashion Design – Blackarmoor

Event Promoter of the Year – Fashion Gives Back

International Sports Personality – Kirsty Coventry

Personality of the Year – Glorianne Francis

Community

Community Organisation of the Year – Positive Youth Programs

Community Champion of the Year – Nyasha Gwatidzo

Media

Journalist of the Year goes – Lance Guma

Media House of the Year – New Zimbabwe

Radio Station of the Year – Zimnet Radio

Radio presenter of the Year – Vickie Storm

Music

Male Artist of the Year – Bruno ‘Money B’ Mukuze

Female Artist of the Year – Cynthia Mare

Gospel Artist of the Year – Jane Doka

DJ of the Year - Andy Blixx

Video of the Year – All Stars, “Just Wanna Dance”

Zimbabwe Achievers Award: Supporting five charities in 2012.

Posted by Vanessa Hobson Charity Co-ordinator 

“munhu munhu nekuda kwevanhu” “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”
“Not all of us can do great things. But we can all do small things with great love” (Mother Teresa) and that is exactly what the five charities the Zimbabwean Achievers Awards (ZAA) are supporting this year, are each doing, in their individual ways.

Click to Donate or TEXT ZAAF90 & Amount eg £1 to 70070

The African Baobab Foundation

The African Baobab Foundation was founded in 2008, and aims to enable and empower marginalised people worldwide through provision of holistic services including healthcare, education, employment, and also helping people understand what Conservation and Tourism is all about and how it impacts our overall well being. Our key specialisation is in provision of full range of support services to disabled people to all ages. Our support services are need based, efficient and timely. People with disabilities have generally poorer health, lower education achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. This is largely due to the lack of services available to them and the many obstacles they face in their everyday lives. http://www.africanbaobabfoundation.org/

Girl-Child Network Worldwide

It is oft quoted that “if you educate a girl, you educate a nation” and Betty Makoni is aiming to empower and educate the world – one girl at a time. “From our lived experiences, we have so many practical ways to support the empowerment of girls in the home, school, and community so that what happened to us will never happen to women and girls again. We want a new breed of girl who will walk in the fullness of her potential” 

http://www.girlchildnetworkworldwide.org/

Vimba
Vimba which translates to mean ‘hope’ in the native Zimbabwean language Shona was established in 2007, registered in the UK in 2008 and has grown considerably from donating bags of food and clothes to running three established feeding and education centres in Zimbabwe and have recently partnered with an AIDS orphanage.
http://www.vimba.co.uk/

Ponayi

“My name is Leoba; I am the founder of Ponayi. I am a mother of four of Southern African origin living here in the UK.  My journey to this point began a few years ago when I was diagnosed with breast cancer which had a devastating effect on my family.  I found it very hard to express myself to all those involved in my health care, including my own GP due to various cultural beliefs and hurdles.  My story has a happy ending, I was one of the lucky ones and I beat my illness. My journey to recovery was what made me think of setting up a charity which would support people like myself and help them through difficult times.”
www.ponayi.org.uk

Save the Rhino
More than 150 rhinos have been killed in South Africa this year, nearly half the amount that were killed in the whole of 2010. Need we say more…
http://www.savetherhino.org/

It is sometimes easy to feel overwhelmed by how much work there is still left to be done to erase poverty, and abuse and to help all those that need our help. But the important thing to remember is that if we all play a very small part, a few hours volunteering a month, £1 and £2 donations by text, by running a marathon for a charity, or holding a cake sale and donating the profits we can, and we will achieve great things…together.

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”
― Mother Teresa