The South African Traditional Music Achievement (SATMA) Awards Nomination launch event will be hosted in Mahikeng, the provincial capital of the North West province for the next consecutive two years, SATMA Awards Founder Dumisani Goba announced at Eight SATMA Nominees announcement held at the Mmabatho Convention Centre on Saturday.
Goba said that the nomination launches which kick-start one of the most anticipated events on the South African music calendar are part of preparing the province to host the main event in the future. He said that finalising the process will depend on negotiations between the SATMA Foundation and the provincial government as well as relevant stakeholders.
Welcoming the SATMA to the province on behalf of Premier Thandi Modise, MEC for Sport, Arts & Culture Ms Tebogo Modise said the provincial government hopes that Mahikeng as the host of the nominations will be part of the SATMA life in the next coming years.
“It is our intention to boldly announce that the North West province, and Mahikeng, will bid to host the SATMA Awards from 2016 to 2020 as we are aware that the SATMA Awards will be hosted for the last time in the Eastern Cape next year and in 2015, as part of the celebrations of the SATMA, KwaZulu-Natal Province will be the host,” said Modise.
MEC Modise said the SATMA is the largest heritage brand property in South Africa
and its ability to promote indigenous Arts & Culture is unparalleled. She said Mahikeng is well positioned and ready to host the SATMA Awards.
“Mahikeng as the potential host has the necessary infrastructure, which includes the first ever built convention centre in the African continent. It has a capacity of 5 000 and has the best lighting and sound acoustics. Mahikeng also has an airport that has the second longest runway on the continent, eight heritage sites, a state of the art Broadcast centre and a recording studio that is acoustically the best in the world, among others,” said MEC Modise.
The nominations for the 36 categories announced at the event include nominations for the Best Sing of the Year, Best traditional and cultural news journalist, Best Indigenous media, Best Music video and Best Setswana music, among others.
Phate Ya Setso Cultural Group, Kgoga Masigo Cultural Group, Tshukudu Ya Poo, and Dialogane Cultural Group were the four contenders that made it to the list of nominees for Best Setswana music.
SATMA Awards President Judge Vuka Chabalala said the Awards are intended to promote, preserve, uplift, develop, stage multicultural exchanges, honour and award traditional musicians across racial and ethnic background.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Heritage Council (NHC), Adv. Sonwabile Mancotywa said it is fitting that the Announcement of Nominees Event was held in the North West province because of its rich cultural heritage and history of leading the arts.
“The fact that this event is held here is absolutely important. Mafikeng is the city of heritage in Africa. Who can forget the Taung Skull and the Liberation Route found in this province? North West is the only province which has two internationally recognised heritage sites. The Liberation route through into Botswana contributed immensely towards our struggle for freedom and democracy, said Adv Mancotywa.
The event was attended by North West MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture Tebogo Modise, her Eastern Cape Counterpart MEC Xoliswa Tom, SATMA Awards President Judge Vuka Chabalala and other SATMA officials. Some of the celebrities who graced the occasion included veteran actor Joe Mafela and Mike Mvelase famous for his character as Khaphela Ngcobo in the soap Generations.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele, Spokesperson
Tel: 018 388 3705
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: 018 388 3157
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com
