Leading from the front

T

here comes a time when after paying a role of a spectator you remove your spectator lens and step right in the thick of things.

The same can be said of hip hop artist Gwamba who during the week announced he will this year launch the country’s first hip hop music awards. As daring as it is but it is also a commendable step from him. After learning the ropes every one of us is expected to take some responsibility to lead at some point.

Considering that it will be an all hip hop affair, the outlook of the awards really look a deviation from what we have. The categories have been smashed into tiny accolades where even artists will be recognised for coming up with an outstanding verse.

Another unique thing coming along with the new awards is the monetary reward that winners will walk away with. This perhaps is the first edition that will attract a financial package minus the recognition that artists receive on such platforms. I stand to be corrected.

All this I am sure will add to the excitement of the whole setup. Despite that, naturally any new things enjoy a good amount of attention as they set in. The biggest challenge to sustain the initial take off will fall on the lap of the organisers.

Gwamba is a name which has been around for long. He has been part of many award events during his career in which he has won not less than nine individual awards. By now he must have appreciated what passes for an ideal music award event.

Music lovers in the country have time and again voiced their disapproval of how several award events have been structured and conducted in the past. As someone with first hand or even closer experience I am sure Gwamba has a good picture of where others fell short.

On that end we hope his baby will rise above the weak points that critics and artists alike have raised in the past. But again this is in no way trying to pile unnecessary pressure on his shoulders. For everything we can say we appreciate that ultimately he is the executor of his dream. We can therefore just place our faith in that dream.

Just like many, his signature tune has been ‘trying to promote raw talent by giving it a platform’. This too we cannot doubt. The biggest task will however be proving that indeed this platform has the interests of upcoming artists and local hip hop on its nucleus.

As it stands, it is only the raging global coronavirus pandemic that stands between us and experiencing the first ever Malawi Hip Hop Awards. As per the indication of the organisers, November has been set at the tentative month when the event will be held.

We hope and pray that by then the world would have dealt with the threat of the disease in its entirety to allow everyone to get back to their normal lives. In the same vein we believe the organisers will use the period in between to do a thorough homework so they can deliver the best they could ever hope for.

It is in this light that I would like to pat Duncan Gwambaike Zgambo on the back for being that guy who has dared himself to dream big. It is easy to participate and talk about something from a far. Again it is a totally new game to be the one in the driving seat.

It is time to show and share with the world what his long years in music have given him. He has earned so much from the rap game that it will only be reasonable if his wealth of experience helps to unearth another Gwamba.