NOTHANDO WINS BIG IN GOSPEL MUSIC AWARDS

MANZINI – Local Gospel artist Nothando Dlamini won two awards at Eswatini Gospel Music Awards.

The awards ceremony was held on Saturday at Mavuso Trade and Exhibition Centre. Dlamini scooped the award for Best Female Artist as well as the Song of the Year Award, for her hit song titled ‘Wangihlawulela’. The song has been gaining traction in the market, its currently sitting at 47 670 views on YouTube. The awards’ purpose is to celebrate local musicians in the Gospel industry and also to advance this year’s theme which is ‘Ending Femicide’.

This year’s theme was a partnership with swatini Action Group Against Abuse (SWAGAA). In honoring this theme, a blue carpet was presented during the awards. The event hosts were Eswatini television’s Gospel Impact presenter Mbali Simelane and Thami Mdluli, who is a Magistrate by occupation in Manzini, popularly known as Pastor Bae. They were a marvel to watch as they ensured that they kept the crowd entertained through light jokes as means of engaging the crowd, while advancing the theme ‘Ending Femicide’.

It was a well decorated event with the stage boasting with a big background screen and mobile spotlights that presented a luminous eye catching decor when seated on the white and gold presidential chairs, neatly aligned in front of the stage. The awards were kicked off by an emotionally appealing performance from local Gospel act Lobukhosi Makhubu, who sang the song ‘Mama’ inspired by the late South African (SA) powerhouse Brenda Fassie.

Other local artists who followed Makhubu’s performance were Mefika Kenny G, Bongekile Nxumalo, Smiso Simelane, Portia Praise, Make Simelane, Phiwokwakhe, Nothando Dlamini, Feziwe Matsebula, Thabile Myeni and SA Gospel artist Londiwe ‘Sphe’ Nxumalo. They all delivered magnificent performances besides the fact that they were each given minimal time to perform as means of saving time for the awarding programme.

The awards headline act, Nduduzo Matse was the last act to perform. He rendered a memorable performance that drew fans closer to the stage area to dance and sing along with him. His performance also marked the end of the event, as fans went out of the venue just after he finished performing. Among the notable faces during the awards were Association of Christian Artists of Eswatini (ACAESWA) President Phetsile Masilela, Eswatini National Arts and Culture (ENAC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Stanley Dlamini, renowned Gospel sensation Frans Dlamini, and Mathokoza Sbiya.

Emphasising

ACAESWA president delivered her remarks emphasising the end of gender-based violence (GBV) in Eswatini as cases are continuing to rise. “This year’s theme is about gender-based violence, our country is greatly affected when it comes to gender-based violence, and it’s rising uncontrollably. It has been part of our mission as Gospel artists that we partner with stakeholders which teaches the nation about gender-based violence. We are grateful to SWAGAA for coming through and partnering with us. What we are requesting to the whole country then specifically to Gospel artists, can we be ambassadors of peace in our families,” Masilela said. The awards ended just after 11pm.

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