Why no woman has won Artist of the Year so far

Nov 02, 2007

THE PAM awards are a source of much amusement, but also a source of annoyance to many. Currently, one of the questions hanging in the air is: Why don’t women artistes win the Artist of the Year award?

By Joseph Batte

THE PAM awards are a source of much amusement, but also a source of annoyance to many.

Currently, one of the questions hanging in the air is: Why don’t women artistes win the Artist of the Year award? For the last four years, only male artistes have claimed the prestigious award that comes with sh10m, yet Uganda boasts a multitude of talented female singers.

When it comes to making good records, it has to be said, they sing better and with more passion. Most of the hits that are currently rocking the airwaves are by female artistes.

For example Empisazo, Yono (Iryn Namubiru), Amagwa (Sophie Nantongo), Kibaluma, Kanyimbe (Juliana Kanyomozi). Who can forget the euphoria caused Juliana’s Nabikoowa, Namubiru’s Nkuweki and Hitaji by Blu*3?

In 2005, Juliana could have given Mesach Semakula a bloody nose and walked away with Artiste of the Year. The entire Nabikoowa album was red hot. Last year seemed to belong to Iryn Namubiru. Her album was musically deeper.

Some of the dark mutterings you hear in Uganda is that female artistes are ‘artistically lame.’

“Very few of them write their own songs. And if they do, the songs are usually full of frivolous pointed lyrics aimed at their hubby’s secret lovers who they refer to as a ‘substitute spare tyre.’

Or the songs are bitter responses aimed at the men who broke their heart,” says a songwriter who preferred anonymity.
A hit is a hit. It does not matter whether you sing about the sun, the rain or the potholes on Kampala’s roads! This is a blatant case of female victimisation.

And it resonates throughout the world. Take an example of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is considered one of the most musically fertile places in the world.

The DRC is considered the pacesetter of African Jazz. If you listen to Ugandan, Kenyan and Tanzanian music, there is no doubt that we owe our allegiance to DRC.

Strangely, the female singers the country has churned out can actually be counted on one hand — Mbilia Bel, the late Pongo Love, Tshala Mwana and Paris-based Yondo Sister.

In the DRC, music is regarded as a male province. Women are mostly relegated to the role of queen dancers. Yondo Sister and her late twin sister Yondo Nyota, were queen dancers with Tabu Ley’s band and later the Paris-based Soukous Stars.

She only became a singer and a successful solo artist at the prodding of the bandleader, Lokassa ya Mbongo.
“This masculinisation of music is masked male chauvinism” says Berna, a graduate of Women Studies at Makerere University.

“Society has a wrong belief that for a woman to achieve anything, she has to go an extra mile.” Berna observed that women do not help their cause either.
“Men are confident of themselves. That is why they are launching albums every other week. Women are defeatist.”

Isaac Mulindwa, the chairman of the PAM Awards committee, blames it on culture. “Not only in Uganda, but all over the world. For centuries men have always created and women consumed. However, I don’t mean that the PAM awards follow the same rule.

“Firstly, the public should be reminded that the PAM Awards organising committee has virtually nothing to do with the nominations of female artist.

It is the artists themselves and the media houses that do the nominations. They are the ones that need to change their attitude towards women because we now live in a world of equality.

“However, being sidelined does not mean we are going to single out women for special recognition and treatment when it comes to nominations. It is a level playing field, so it is upon the female artists themselves to record good music and market it well.

The fans, fellow artists and media houses will surely select them as they have done Sophie Natongo,” Mulindwa says.

PAM AWARD Winners 2003
Best Live Band – KADS Band
Best Male Artist – Jose Chameleone
Best Ragga Artist — Ragga Dee
Best Ragga Single — Ragga Dee
Best Contemporary Single — Sam and Sophie Gombya
Artist of the Year — Jose Chameleone
Best Gospel Single — Wipolo (George Okudi)
Song of the Year — Mama Mia (Jose Chameleone)
Best Contemporary Artist — Jose Chameleone
Best Video Producer — MGS
Best Live Band Single — Makanika Wange (Titi Tabel)
Lifetime Achievement Award – Elly Wamala
Best Hip Hop Artist/Group — Klear Kut
Best Female Artist — Titi Tabel
Best Gospel Artist — Pastor George Okudi
Best R&B Single — Steve Jean
Best R&B Artist — Steve Jean
Best Hip Hop Single — Klear Kut
Mataali Group — Khalifa Mukasa group
Best Cultural Artist/Group — Nile Beat
Best Kadongo Kamu Artist — Paul Kafeero
Best Kadongo Kamu Single — Paul Kafeero
Best Cultural Artist — Nile Beat
Audio Producer of the Year — Steve Jean

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