Ni Dumi Hi Phone, Samson, na Madumelana are all snubbed Xitsonga Music Awards nominations

Nxanxameto wa masagwadi ya XMA15 ya humini, and guess what? Ni Dumi Hi Phone ya Sho Madjozi, na Samson na Madumelana ta Khombo Shirimani, hinkwato tinsimu leti ta ndhuma titsandzekini ku fikelela nhlawulo wa Xitsonga Music Awards wa 2018.

Let’s rewind to 2017;

According to Lawrence Ubisi the station manager, for an artist to have qualified for the 14th Xitsonga Music Awards in 2017 they had to have released their song and have it playlisted on MLFM between 01 August 2015 – 31 August 2016. If this is the case, then for a song to qualify for a XMA nomation in 2018, it must have been released and playlisted on MLFM between 01 September 2016 – 30 September 2017.

Sho Madjozi received two XMA15 nominations for songs she’s featured on, which are ‘A mi ku yini’ by pH (released April 2017) and ‘User busy’ by Mapele (released July 2017), but Ni Dumi Hi Phone (released April 2017) did not make the cut despite having debuted on Switshongo Top 30 which is Munghana Lonene FM’s chart show.

Khombo Shirimani received three nominations as an artist, but her two biggest debut songs dominated radio and the streets, Madumela and Samson (released July / August 2017) received zero nominations. The 15th Xitsonga Music Awards nominees don’t add up:

• Benny Mayengani’s Swa ni Fanela (released March 2018) scored 1 XMA15 nomination.

• Mr Post’s My bible (released March 2018) scored 1 XMA15 nomination.

• Russian Army’s Switirhi swa le gigini (released November 2017) scored 1 XMA15 nomination.

• Henny C’s Romeo and Juliet (released November 2017) scored 2 XMA15 nominations.

• Gami Swagga’s Tamatisoso (released March 2018) scored 3 XMA15 nominations.

The Xitsonga Music Awards continue to grow irrelevant as  they struggle year after year to reflect and celebrate the true Xitsonga music scene in South Africa. In 2016 and 2017 Russian Army (Vo khazi va game) and Hangalasa (Ku tirha xisuti) were not recognized by XMA at a time when they had the biggest Xitsonga songs in South Africa. Hangalasa was even invited to perform at the award show because his song was that popping but dololo nomination.

Ni Dumi Hi Phone put Xitsonga on the mainstream again, and the music video generated over 1 million Youtube views. There’s no other Tsonga musician who has done Sho Madjozi numbers on the internet. Sho Madjozi makes Xitsonga fashionable through music. What more does n’wana vanhu need to do to qualify for a Xitsonga Music Award?

Munghana Lonene FM needs to fix their inconsistencies, va hi onhela masagwadi.

Munghana Lonene is the only widely accessible media in South Africa. Munghana Lonene FM is an important social instrument, hi nga miyeli swilo swi onheka.

Xifaniso: Munghana Lonene / Facebook