Former Big Brother Africa (BBA) housemates Mampi and Cleo Ice Queen continue to maintain their celebrity status in Zambia with music careers which they re-launched after the reality show.
The musicians have been nominated for the 2013-2014 Zambia Music Awards which will recognise key players in the industry next month. Over 55 000 entries were submitted to the competition which is being sponsored by Zambian breweries Mosi Larger.
The awards have been divided into two categories, the populist with 20 categories and the technical.
According to the nomination list announced by the organisers last week at the Hotel Intercontinental and published by Zambia’s Daily Mail, Cleo faces F’Jay and Muzo in the Best New Artiste Award while Mampi, whose release after BBA StarGame Walilowelela was a household hit both in Zambia and Malawi, stands a chance to win the Best Mainstream Female Artiste Award. She faces July and Salma.
Cleo’s profile, published on music website Reverberation, indicates that the 22-year-old started rapping at the age of 11, but her music profile, whose professional foundation base is South Africa where she spent some years doing education, blew up further after leaving the BBA, the Chase.
Mampi launched her music career in 2006 and released hits such as Portable and Maloza, but her name rocked the entrainment industry after releasing the Natural Born Star album from where there the Walilowelela hit it taken.
Both artists have toured Malawi for performances.
So far, none of the Malawian former BBA housemates has been recognised for any award except invitations to participate in events.
Zein Dudha, Code Sangala, Lomwe, Watipaso and Alinafe Kulemeka, Hazel Warren, Felicia Susan Ngoma, Mzamose Chibambo, Fatima Nkata and Natasha Tonthola have represented the country.
