Drama at Uganda’s PAM Awards

By Stevens Muendo

When the Pulse crew met Juliana Kanyomozi — the biggest winner in the Pearl of Africa (PAM) Awards this year — only a day after she swept the board for an exclusive interview, she had cooled down.

Juliana Kanyanmozi holds up her Artiste of the Year award. She also scooped the Best R&B Artiste award.

Juliana radiated with joy as she was ushered into Kabira Country Club, accompanied by her brother Kim and his wife Annette. And there, as she sipped tea, reality finally seemed to dawn on her that she was indeed the newly crowned Uganda music queen.

"I still want to pinch myself to see if it’s real. Slowly, it’s beginning to sink in that last night was a great night for me," she said.

Indeed, PAM Awards — with it’s glitz and glamour — was marred with drama which turned the gala night into one of the most controversial, heartbreaking but also a joyous showbiz ceremonies to be witnessed in the region.

Red carpet entrances

The crowd, just like the artistes, was pitted against each other in different tents long before the event kicked off. At 8pm the night’s hosts Dr Mitch, Kazooro and comical Strata fueled the heat with provoking satire, which some nominees did not take lightly.

And spicing the drama to the maximum was a host of irate Burundian’s who on not getting enough tickets for their crew to the 1,700-seater VIP tent boycotted the event at the eleventh hour. Kenyan singer Amani arrived five minutes to the closure of the show after missing her early morning flight from Nairobi.

By the time she made her entrance, Nameless and his wife Wahu, had been crowned the Best Male and Female Artiste (Kenya) respectively as Kayamba Afrika was named the Best Band (Kenya).

The colourful ceremony held at Shimoni grounds in Kampala, Uganda, last Saturday was attended by thousands of showbiz fans from all over East Africa. Dignitaries, government officials and other prominent personalities were also in attendance. The queen of Buganda Sylvia Nagginda received a hero’s welcome as she strutted into the venue in an elegant pink designer dress.

Vip celebrities

It was a red carpet reception marked with fashion and style as well as glamour. As early as 7pm, the VIP dome was packed to capacity, dinning and wining coupled with performances by singers and dancing troupes lit up the event.

Bobi Wine accompanied by his wife Barbara Itungo and members of the Fire Base Crew arrived just as Chameleone’s brothers Radio and Weasel were making their entrance. Juliana Kanyomozi, Blu 3 and new acts Desire, Grace Nakimera, GNL Zamba, Navio Salon had taken their tables long before the main show begun.

"It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the 6th PAM Awards and I am proud to say that with the addition of Burundi to the awards’ family, we are now flying the complete East African flag," said Isaac Mulindwa Jr, the event’s CEO.

Battle of words

Bebe Cool had just arrived in the company of his wife Zuena when the Good Lyfe Crew (Mowsey Radio and Weasle) were being crowned the winners for the category of the Best Afro-beat single.

The controversial love song Zuena which happens to be Bebe’s wife’s name was a dig at Bebe who they wanted to teach a lesson. The song came about from the rivalry between Island Crew and Bebe Cool.

"Bebe said we can’t sing, said we couldn’t win. We dedicate this award to his wife, Zuena," said Radio as a section of the crowd cheered stirring up the verbal war which lasted the whole night.

And when Kazooro asked Bebe what he thought about the duo and if he would accept the honour on behalf of his wife, Bebe simply said; "It’s good that they could sing about beautiful Zuena. It’s good to sing about beautiful wives. But some of us have been here long enough. This is just the beginning."

Soon after the Kisima delegation led by the CEO Victor Mayeya and Jones Situma walked in.

Radio and Weasel went ahead to win the Best New Artiste/Artistes crown as well as the Song of the Year — thanks to their runway hit Nakudata. The award had been expected to go to either Bebe for his Kus Kus hit or at the worst to Bobi Wine whose Mazi Mawanvu was nominated in the same category.

Overjoyed, Radio and Weasel went ahead to dedicate the awards to his brother, Chameleone who broke both his legs while in Tanzania., They also applauded Bobi for his continued support.

Thank you Speeches

"Chameleone is like our father, but Bobi has supported us through. He knows what we drink," they said, obviously wanting to provoke Bebe’s ego once more. Ironically, the two left Chameleone’s Island Crew after differing with him on some issues.

"Would you consider working with Bebe on a remix of the Zuena song?" asked Mitch.

"Well, if only he is good enough," responded Weasle amidst a wild laughter from the crowd.

And when the host turned to Bebe on the same, he even got more hilarious saying that "Well, I only sing with musicians of a certain class. But that can be considered."

However, it wasn’t long before Bebe begun his awards sweep much to his relief.

He won the accolades for both the Best Ragga Artiste/Group and Best Reggae Artiste/Group before stunning his rivals by taking home the coveted Best Male Artiste award.

"I dedicate the award to Zuena, my wife as she is the strongest person I know. She has been supporting me all the way," he said before dedicating the other two to his son who had been admitted in hospital.

Bebe cool’s moment

Bebe broke into tears as he thanked his fans saying that the Ugandan music industry had grown tremendously due to the support from the locals.

Bobi Wine on the other hand suffered a great setback. He only managed to grab the Best Afrobeat Artiste/Group award out of the numerous nominations he had been accorded.

The night, however, belonged to Juliana Kanyomozi, a former radio presenter who become the first East African lady singer to win the much-coveted Artiste of the Year award. Her strongest competitor Iryn Namubiru who had also been nominated was not in attendance.

Personal questions

Earlier in the night, Juliana was upset by Kazoora when the host asked her whether her former boyfriend Kassim Ouma — US-based Ugandan pugilist whom she broke with some few months ago — had anything to do with her hit song Nkyanoonya, a song on friends who end up betraying your trust by turning against you.

"Honestly, we are at the PAM Awards. Why do you have to mention that name," she dismissed, irritated.

After Juliana walked away with the Best R&B Artiste and Best Female Artiste categories, the stage had been set for a showdown between her Bebe and Bobi who had been pitted alongside her in the Sh450,000 worth Artiste of the Year category.

And there was song and dance, tears and joy when Juliana’s name was called out. At the time, Bobi was out, seeing to his cars a flat tire which had been allegedly punctured by his rivals.

"I dedicate this award to my late father who challenged me to go out there and exploit my music talent. And I now challenge all the lady singers from all over East Africa, our time has come," Juliana said as she said in accepting the award.

Missing in action

The event was however given a wide berth my several artistes some of who dismissed it as an affair of "the chosen ones."

None of the Tanzanian nominees attended the function and there was no one to receive the awards for A.Y. (Best Male a

Artiste, Tanzania) and Lady Jay Dee (Best Female Artiste, Tanzania)

"I have other undertakings. I am not going to attend the event," Naakaya had told Pulse earlier in the day while the reigning Tusker Project Fame winner Esther Nabaasa simply said; "I am not interested."

"I don’t care about the PAM awards even though I have been nominated. The organisers are not transparent. Why should I go to an event of handpicked winners?" argued Michael Ross.

Now, all the eyes are set on Kenya’s Kisima Awards in two weeks’ time.