It’s that time of the year when Tonight awards the Best and Worst to South African musicians who have made their mark on the industry, writes Therese Owen
THIS year will go down as the year that South African hip hop reached the national music psyche. Yes, there have been individual successes with rappers like Amu, Skwatta Kamp, AKA and Teargas over the years. However, in 2014 Duncan, KO, AKA, iFani, Cassper Nyovest and Ma-E all had national success with strong songs, great videos which in turn raised the bar of local hip hop. It was no longer a niche genre listened to exclusively by kids in the ’burbs.
Nothing remarkable happened on the rock scene apart from the release of that exceptional album by Bittereinde. Controversy was kept to a minimum with the odd spat over Euphonik by some chicks and Magesh being found not guilty for blatting Zwai with a sharp object.
Instagramming became the new black in the world of cyberspace and TV presenters were more photographed than musicians at music awards.
As we wind down to Christmas it all seems to be trundling towards mediocrity. Thank goodness, however, for the real musicians who make real music.
Artist of the Year
Cassper Nyovest and AKA tie in this category. Cassper is deserving for aggressively making his mark in the SA industry. AKA is deserving because he established himself as an artist and not just a rapper. This year saw him become a superstar on the African continent.
The “Chick, You’re Not a Musician” Award
This goes to Bonang who, while she got the job to interview artists on the red carpet at this year’s (Samas), kept on parading up and down the red carpet for photographic opportunities. It prompted one of the journalists to ask her for which song she was nominated for. She merely winked.
Best Live Act – Trompies
Since the release of their latest album, the kwaito men have been touring the country. It is not only their kwaito classics and the hits from this album that get the crowds going, Trompies have more energy than musicians and dancers half their age. Their shows are slick, supercharged and prove why, more than two decades later, no one can touch them.
The Queen of the Land of Milk and Honey Award
If Kelly Khumalo could milk it anymore, she would moo to her music instead.
Album of the Year
Black Motion’s Fortune Teller is a definite winner. The album has a brand-new direction, but also takes their established sound to great experimental levels. They beat AKA’s Levels and Professor’s University of Kalawa Jazmee – Since 1994.
Tjop of the Year
This one is a no brainer – Steve Hofmeyr. He is like Bono, but on the opposite side. He says so many stoopid things offstage, that we forget he is actually a best-selling and award-winning musician.
Video of the Year
AKA’s Run Jozi (Godly) is filmed on the Nelson Mandela Bridge and the adjacent Bree Street taxi rank. The camera angles combined with the editing and, of course, the brilliance of his and KO’s rapping and that beat, this video is a well-deserved winner.
What a bunch of poofs award
When it comes to the silly twitter war between AKA and Nyovest, not even The Feather Awards can outgay these two. It all culminated when AKA’s pal pulled out a gat in a TV studio when they were fighting over a make-up room. Talk about a drive-by shooting. Tupac must be rolling in his grave. With laughter.
Best Newcomer
South Africa, be warned. Fiesta Black is coming. She is ferocious, terrifying, a warlord. Her album, Queen Nakampe, will set the music industry on fire in 2015.
The Travesty of Justice Award
The Metro FM Music Awards really messed up when they paid tribute to kwaito music. They had all the stars from Zola to Magesh to Mandoza to Professor and the Afrotainment crew. Each artist performed a snippet of their biggest hits and it was all held together by the chorus of Skeem’s Waar Was Jy?
However, Ishmael, who sings that chorus, was sitting in the audience like a surprised dunce. They did not even have the decency to ask him to come on stage.
Shame on you, Metro FM, shame on you.
Babe of the Year
Tonight did a shoot with DJ Fisherman for his latest album at the Oyster Box Hotel in uMhlanga Rocks. He donned a black suit and looked suitably sophisticated and handsome in the rich surroundings. Grrowwl.
Best Live Performance
The Gangs of Ballet performance at Splashy Fen. They used the monitors as their own personal stages as they belted out their firey rock music. They were totally unstoppable from beginning to end.
Sweetest Moments
The relationship between two legends of the South African music industry on X-Factor, Oskido and Arno Carstens, was very sweet, especially the fact that Oskido giggled continuously at Carstens’s eccentricities.
Best Birthday Bash
Kalawa Jazmee’s celebration of 20 years in the industry. They threw the bash on the outer fields of Kings Park after the Vodacom July. From Black Motion to Trompies, Mafikizolo, the Kalawa Chikitas, Uhuru, Oskido and DJ Zinhle, it made the audience realise just how massive and massively successful this record company is. Happy birthday, babies.
Blonde Babe Magnate of the Year
MatThew Mole. The amount of pretty young things who line up in front of the stage to watch this sweet but bewildered singer/songwriter is unfathomable. Like he’s not exactly a hotty, but still, the young ladies swoon in his presence.
Record Launch of the Year
AKA’s launch of his album, Levels, which was held at Universal Music’s studios in Rosebank, Joburg. The charismatic rapper climbed on the tables, gave us some cool dance moves, gave challenging well thought-out descriptions of his songs and just wowed everyone present with his rockstar presence. We love this man.
Collaboration of the Year
2014 was certainly the year of collaborations in South African music, particularly in rap. However, the most exciting and mind-blowing was the collaboration between Carstens and Francois van Coke. That they both shaped South African rock music over two decades, that they are both icons in their own right and that they both have given the most exciting and original music to come from this country is wonderful enough. When they decided to perform each other’s songs live together, it was a heavenly experience and an adrenalin rush to boot.
The “But We Could Have Told The City of Tshwane That” Award
This goes to the City of Tshwane who paid a few million to some dodgy promoters. These promoters convinced them that they could throw a festival with top local and international acts near the dorp of Cullinan and attract 100 000 visitors. Tribe One, which was supposed to include Nicki Minaj, never happened. Surprise. Bit of advice to the City of Tshwane – check the pedigree of the promoters first.
Song of the Year
It’s a close tussle between AKA’s Run Jozi (Godly) which features KO, and KO’s Caracara which features Kid X. We are going with KO’s Caracara. The song has started a new sound, which the Cashtime Fam call skhande. It fuses the kwaito culture with kasi-style rapping and the beat will get peeps dancing for years to come.