DCSR nominated as finalist for SATMA Awards
This year’s awards will be held in Bisho, Eastern Cape from October 4-5.
It is official! The Mpumalanga Department of Culture, Sport and Recreation (DCSR) has been nominated for a top award at the 2013 South African Traditional Music Achievement Awards (Satma).
DCSR is a finalist in the best department of arts and culture category at this year’s Satma. To vote for the department, SMS SATMA, Best Department of Arts and Culture, Mpumalanga Province to 34066. SMS cost R1.50 and voting lines close on October 3 at midnight.
“It is a great honour for the department to be nominated at this prestigious awards. It shows there is something good we have been doing as government and it is a vote of confidence to be nominated by the public,” says MEC Sibongile Manana, urging people of Mpumalanga to rally behind her department by casting their votes for the department.
DCSR will be vying for the award against other departments from Gauteng, Northern Cape, North West and Western Cape.
According to Manana, her department received the nomination because it is making things happen in the arts and culture sector. “Promoting the arts and preserving culture is in the department’s lifeblood and this is reflected in the projects and programmes we roll out,” says Manana.
The department is providing a platform to traditional musicians to showcase their talents during national celebrated days and Mpumalanga Traditional Music and Dance Festival. It is through these platforms that Iqhuga Lipholile, who is the hottest talent in Maskandi music in the country, was discovered.
Besides the department, there are other local artists nominated for awards at the 8TH Satma. Saaiplaas Boys and Sivukile are contesting the best isiNdebele Album; Make Shelangubo, Zandi N and Phathwa Kahle are contesting best IsiSwati Album and Ligwalagwala FM is up for two nominations for best traditional music radio programme (Injalo Lentfo) and best traditional DJ at a public broadcast station (Stanford “Malume Stan” Mhlanga). Ikwekwezi FM also has two nominations for best traditional music radio programme (Traditional Music Top 10) and Best Traditional DJ (Michael Skhosana).
To vote for your favourite nominee, SMS SATMA, Category and your choice to 34066Satma were started in 2005 with an aim of creating a platform to celebrate traditional music and to encourage multi-cultural exchange among South Africans.
