13 Dec 2016

Different artistes both newcomers and seasoned bagged awards under different categories during the second Northern Arts Awards (NAA) on Saturday.

The awards were divided into 29 categories with MC Maswe featuring in most categories such as Best Master of Ceremony, Best Employer and Best Mosakaso.

 Toropo Yamuka festival also scooped the best festival award after only being introduced last year. The festival managed to attract over 5 000 fans across the country.

The best music video category went to Baiseraela, a gospel group, which beat other nominees that included Bana Bana Ntogwa, a group well known to keep other troupes on their toes at the Presidential Arts Competition.

Baiserela also scooped the best Gospel Group. Mswallo garned most votes against Ndingo Johwa in the Best Jazz category. The awards did not only focus on music but were inclusive of fashion design hence Power Fashions got the prize for Best Fashion Designer.

Koketso Marumo and Kabo Keitheng got the awards for the Best Comedian and Best Poet categories respectively. Tsikiofi Photography won the Best Digital Photography. Club Lagos won the Best host of the year while Tshireletso Lechaena won the Nest Visual Arts award.

Other categories were in the field of DJs, kwaito, best upcoming, best overall and best music producer as well as promoter.

Lesedi Mkhutshwa of Mmegi won the Best Arts Reporter while the Best Media House award was won by The Voice.

One of the speakers, veteran musician Taolo Moshaga said if taken seriously, the awards could be used to motivate the music industry to grow so as to help in diversifying the economy.

Moshaga urged artists to take themselves seriously by producing good quality products that could earn the industry some respect.

He noted that Botswana was one of the best countries in the world, but unfortunately the residents only sing the national anthem without implementing it what it calls for. “We must stand together and produce in order to take the country to greater heights,” he said.

He advised artists on the importance of saving, determination as well as overcoming challenges. Moshaga also applauded the award organisers for doing their best despite the minimal financial assistance they got and he implored the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development to increase its contribution towards the awards.

Councillor Lesego Kwambala said the Francistown City Council has passed a motion , which calls for the development of an arts policy that would help in creation of employment opportunities and implored parliamentarians to support the motion.

Kwambala said investing in talent was important and encouraged the business community to sponsor artists at different levels.

Boteti East MP, Sethomo Lelatisitswe shared the same sentiments that music could diversify the economy through employment creation and that it could also be used to share and enrich culture.

The director of NAA, Lionel Nkosi said the event was started last year to celebrate, strengthen and motivate artists in the north. He said the awards were unique because the approach was holistic in the sense that every genre in the art industry was included. Nkosi noted that although the arts were the biggest contributor to the economy northern artists had long not been celebrated.

Nkosi commended the Presidential Arts Competitions for reviving arts across the country adding the NAA wishes to ensure continuity of unearthing talent and recognising those in the north who were never recognized.

He however said the NAA have been running on a zero budget for the second year now and thanked Moshaga for his contribution towards making the NAA possible. ENDS