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Urban grooves “King of Swag” Desmond Stunner Chideme recently travelled to Malaysia where he received an award. The award was for the African Entertainment Awards (AEA) in the category of best Southern African male artist.
The AEAs are three years old and according to their website were formed to recognise African talent.
This year is their most successful as they have included artists from Africa. This is not Stunner’s first award as he earlier this year won three more accolades at the inaugural hip-hop awards in Zimbabwe.
The AEAs are three years old and according to their website were formed to recognise African talent.
This year is their most successful as they have included artists from Africa. This is not Stunner’s first award as he earlier this year won three more accolades at the inaugural hip-hop awards in Zimbabwe.
He has also bagged a number of National Arts Merit Awards periodically in his few years of fame. What this might mean at face value is that Stunner is one of the most successful musicians in the land.
With five awards in his cabinet he is following hard on the heels of artistes like Oliver Mtukudzi, who has a career spanning over 30 years and is internationally acclaimed. But is the young man as successful as the “awards” suggest? Are the awards even credible anyway?
The dictionary meaning of the word “award” is “reward for merit”. Over the years there have been numerous awards in various areas and genres of art. Of late, however, many dubious organisations have sprouted and introduced awards, apparently for public relations purposes.
Most of the organisations may be trying to seek public sympathy, recognition or even publicity for future projects that they want to embark on. The hip-hop awards were held barely a week after the leaking of Stunner’s infamous sex tape.
There have been unconfirmed rumours in urban grooves circles suggesting that Pokello Nare, the girl in the sex tape, is behind the hip-hop awards. Even though this is mere speculation, given that it could be true, could the awards not have been a cleansing gimmick meant to restore the musician’s tarnished image?
Image aside, what is the credibility of the awards when they lacked depth, when they failed to reward the individuals that the public feels are the winners? After the event there were numerous arguments as many felt Alishias Musimbe aka Maskiri and Tehn Diamond, among others, were the real winners.
Some even went on to argue that Stunner was not a hip-hop artist.
The queries go on and on. Yet the question still remains: What exactly is in an award? Newsday
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