THE Zimbabwe Music Awards (ZIMA) have come and gone.
They leave behind mixed feelings, reactions and sentiments.
Proceedings at the arts fete indicated the organisers still need to tweak one or two things to take the awards ceremony to a higher level.
It is highly commendable that the seventh edition of the ZIMA came to pass.
The organisers fulfilled their promise to hold the awards ceremony no matter the magnitude of difficulties they faced in organising the event.
The ZIMA are one of the finest examples of stakeholders who committed to the arts industry and are determined to celebrate and prop up a sector bedeviled with a myriad of challenges.
So much is happening in the music arena that is not so good. Crippling piracy which has condemned artistes to a life of poverty is one evil that has left many an artiste discouraged and despondent.
One could be forgiven for concluding there is nothing to celebrate in the music industry. Hence platforms like the ZIMA should be commended and hailed for keeping the fire burning in the cutthroat music industry through celebrating the achievements of the hardworking artistes.
It is through the ZIMA that we were reminded of the importance and contribution of the legendary revolutionary songwriter and singer Dick Chingaira, popularly known as ‘Cde Chinx’.
We cannot compare the ZIMA with the Oscars or the Grammys; the latter have been around for many years.
However, experts contend the ZIMA can get bigger and better if organisers address some basic issues.
For instance, doing things on time might seem mundane, but it’s critical to holding successful events.
The devil is in the detail.
It is detail and the little things, which are mostly taken for granted, that create glitz and glamour. While organisers of the awards insist they achieved their purpose much still needs to be done to improve ZIMA.
Speaking to Patriot Arts, ZIMA publicist Farai Chapoterera said they were satisfied with the outcome of this year’s edition.
“We were satisfied though we cannot say 100 percent satisfied, but we appreciate that this year’s edition improved,” said Chapoterera.
“Although there were hiccups here-and-there, comparing with previous editions we are improving.”
However, there is room for improvement in the following areas:
Communication
It is highly important for the organisers of ZIMA to improve their communication system. Clearly there were misunderstandings between the sender and receiver of messages to do with the awards this year.
Poor communication could be noted in the way the nominees and even journalists covering the event interacted.
There were many information gaps.
For example, times for arrival were not clear as the set time was not adhered to.
It seems there were changes of the time, but scribes were never informed.
At such events, time is critical because photo-journalists have to position themselves to capture those priceless pictures.
The ‘chaos’ at the red carpet was a result of poor communication.
“We did not know what was expected of us, what to do or where to go, there was so much confusion,” said one nominee who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Red Carpet
It seems the organisers did not pay much attention to the red carpet.
But this is singly the most important part of any awards ceremony, the nominated and VIPs are ushered from the red carpet.
Laying out a red carpet is a sign of respect that gives a classy atmosphere.
It is not only a sign of honouring guests, but where the nominated and invited pose for photo-shoots with fans.
Nominees and invited guests at the red carpet are separated from everyone else through a barricade of some type or the velvet rope.
But this was absent at the ZIMA, which diminished the purpose of the red carpet.
Although ZIMA cannot be blamed for the outrageous apparel of some of the guests, organisers must specify the dress-code, which preferably should be a black tie affair.
Venue
Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) proved too big a venue for the awards ceremony.
Guests were scattered all over the place because there was so much room and this destroyed the sense of intimacy and coziness which make such events a success.
Perhaps 7 Arts Theatre in Avondale, Harare, would have been ideal.
A weekend ceremony would also be ideal if the event is open to the public.
Sponsors
The issue of sponsorship and contribution from different stakeholders is another aspect that ZIMA must work hard to correct. Despite the prevailing liquidity challenges, there are corporations ready to support worthwhile causes if they are engaged in time.
Well done NetOne for partnering the ZIMA and we hope many entities will come on board in the next edition.
Despite their shortcomings, organisers of the awards are on the right path and can only get much better with support from all stakeholders.