Ok, so some musicians have pulled out of this year’s edition of Salax Awards. So what? Not that it’s not a course for concern, but really the fact the likes of Uncle Austin, Dream Boyz and Tom Close have withdrawn doesn’t necessarily mean the prestigious awards have lost their meaning. It’s far from the reality. But even then that is not to say that the gesture of some of the best musicians turning their backs on such an important showbiz event is meaningless. It’s far from the reality as well.
The difference between Salax Awards and Grammy Awards is money. Don’t read it wrong. In America, Grammy winners are awarded with cash but in Rwanda Salax organizers are! How bizarre. It’s hard to believe but it’s true. The easiest thing to win is a Salax Award. Musicians have told how in the past they have bribed their way into nominations and finally winning them, a factor that has angered Ikirezi Group, the main sponsors and organizers.
So exactly how is the showbiz fraternity supposed to treat this piece of news? One famous musician who wished to remain anonymous told tukabyine.com that he was approached and told to cough out a cool 100,000 Rwf if he wanted to win in one of the categories. He said, “I vehemently refused to part with the cash.” Of course he is expected to lose, but that’s a low blow if we want our entertainment sector to move forward. March 5th is approaching when the red carpet will ready for the winners, but the hullaballoo that continues to loom around is no good news. If we are going to have more musicians blasting the awards, then that encouragement for young musicians will eventually disappear, much to the detriment of our music. It’s time Ikirezi Group did something: and very fast.
