Ali Kiba: Tanzania needs music awards

"I believe that when we had so many music awards, they were a source of inspiration to many artists,” he said during an interview with Azam TV last week.

“The awards motivated musicians to be creative by producing quality music. It was an exciting time to be an artist and they worked very hard in the hope of being recognised and respected.

Ali Kiba also alluded to personal plans of launching an awards ceremony to boost young talent in the country.

"The quality of this genre has decreased and artists are no longer challenging each other. Artists sound the same while others record music that is flat because they don’t expect any returns from their music. I would like to launch a music award in the future for the sake of up-and-coming musicians.”

The singer said originality was a precursor for healthy competition in the music industry.

”Bongo flava music has achieved a huge milestone. There are individuals who are contributing to its growth but there are also others who are bringing it down. However, I am in no position to judge because we are all at liberty to decide which direction our career takes.”

Author and singer Mr Puaz told Music In Africa that it was absurd for Tanzanian artists to be acknowledged across the African continent while being ignored at home.

“It is important to have music awards back because there is a lot of local talent that goes unnoticed,” he said. “Only a few established artists have been fortunate enough to win awards, which are organised by other countries. So it's necessary to acknowledge other underground artists who are creating good music.

“The absence of music awards has demoralised many musicians and they lack the energy to keep making music. Once we have them back they should be fair and transparent with no favouritism.”