The 2008 Pammys

I wasn’t among the gathering at Shimoni on Saturday 1st November 2008 but got a glimpse of the rhythmic action live on WBS TV where quality matters. It was my first time to watch the PAM - Pearl of Africa Music - Awards live on telly and Gordon Wavamunno, the godfather of Ugandan entrepreneurship was on screen to bless the telecast before it started. The colour and contrast quality might have been less sharp but I have to admit that the ceremony was well organized. My favourite artiste Bebe Cool (Actually Wavah also confessed that he was his favourite) scooped three awards (Best Reggae, Ragga and Male Artiste of the Year) after 9 nominations (The next artiste had only 5).

The soulful song “Zuena” (which won Best New Act) is personally My Song of the Year (simply because that is the name of Bebe’s beautiful wife. People talked en talked saying the singer Mozey had beef against my main man in composing it). Radio’s other track entitled “Nakudata” with Chameleone’s kid bro Weasel won the Best Song Pammy and used to be my favourite when still fresh but on this night I wanted “Kuss Kuss” to take it since they were thrown in the same category. I first heard Bebe’s hit while working on a Maisha short film in August 2008 and was totally blown away by the exciting spirit in it. For sure, “Bebe Cool munene munene (Big is big)...” Daniel Arap Moi’s reading of the news headlines from Shimoni seemed out of place but was good for the humour it provided as the sleek talking Mitch and pompous J. Kazoora emceed.

The inaugural Best West Nile Artiste Award went to Dogman, not bad since he has been around hustling for quite some time (even in the Best Northern Artiste Category now reserved for only Acholi, Langi, Karimojong plus Teso Regions). Airplay for his music in the capital (mainly on UBC TV) seems to outweigh J.M. Kennedy’s (played on KFM) but I hoped the latter could win it because he is my preference and sings in high Lugbara. Despite all that though, I was very pleased to see Black Harmony chosen to perform on the 2008 Bell Lager PAM Award stage ushering in a new dawn for West Nile music. They came along with funky queen dancers wearing shorts and a lady singing a Luganda hook. The duo from Arua had verses in Lugbara (and a little English I guess).

Overall, the show sizzled … Isaac Mulindwa (the Brains behind the Awards) sat next to the Chief Guest Queen Sylvia Naginda (of Buganda) and so was the King for the Night. New comer Toniks who had a really compelling duet ‘Beera Nange’ (Probably took some anointing oil from Judith Babirye’s Gospel track with the same name) won a well deserved award. Pastor Wilson Bugembe meanwhile performed that night and received his accolade for ‘Best Gospel’ which Judith had rejected the previous year for his song ‘Komawo Eka’ whose video features local entertainers such as Bobi Wine and the Amarula Family. Best Artistes from all the other East African countries were also awarded making PAM a really big thing.

Juliana Kanyomozi (who looked beautiful like Halle Berry in a leopard-print dress) was the highlight of the Year and won the Most Important Nod to become the first woman in six years to clinch the “Artiste of the Year” Pammy beating ‘Mazzi Mawaanvu’ that is His Excellency the Ghetto President and ‘Mr. Munene’. I’m not a big fan of hers but she did wonders in the duet entitled “Sirinayo Omulala” (“I Don’t Have Another Lover”) with Sweet Kid.

Do you agree with the controversial reggae hit below also performed on the night: “Njagala kugenda ko Juba…mpulira Uganda entamiye, ejude nugu.” (“I want to go to Juba…I feel I’m tired of Uganda, it’s full of jealousy.”)? Well, personally, jealousy or less of it, Uganda’s music (plus maybe movie) industry, as Straka (WBS Late Show) said, could now be rated second only to Nigeria on the African continent. Don’t care what jealous haters say, play your role whether in music, film, business, agriculture, construction, politics, art, trade, tourism and so on! What I have discerned is that jealous people are just “the devil in disguise” trying to derail you from reaching your heaven-sent visions. Entertainment is now a well-designed business in Uganda and those who work hard at it will reap from it …