BORN and BORED Awards Do It Again

I am beginning to think that the Born and Bred Awards organisers put up terrible show on purpose. I think they get a kick out of us complaining. After all that is the best publicity the show can get when people are frustrated and whining about how disappointing the show was. The organisers really do a great job hyping up the awards, I guess that is the only credit that they deserve to get but when they come to the main event, it is tragic. It was around this time last year that I wrote a piece entitled ‘Born and Bred Awards Sucked, Sucked and Sucked!’ and true to my promise then; I did not bother waiting around for them this year. I was only able to watch the last twenty minutes of the show and thank God that is all I saw.

Based on the few minutes that I watched the Born and Bred Awards, it was not difficult to deduce that we were yet again treated to a sub-standard and mediocre event. The awards stage was embarrassingly dull and boring that if that is the best the organisers can do then we are in trouble. In fact it should be criminal to have an awards stage like that, I have seen better stage setups at high school events than that. Even putting up balloons there would have made a difference. It was as if the guys did not watch the CNN Journalist Awards held at the same venue. I know that the excuse is that they B&B Awards did not have the same kind of funds but in my opinion even if they did they would not have done anything outstanding. There are certain aspects that do not require billions of kwacha all it requires are creative brains. The presenters failed to hold their own on that stage busy sharing a mic. Seriously, they could not find an additional microphone. The sound quality was poor, the video directing and the camera’s used felt like we were still in the Stone Age.

I believe that the organisers have already received more than enough flack, and I am sure they have got the message loud and clear, so I will not dwell on this matter too long. The one thing that I would like to add, is why the organisers felt that there was a need for a long speech at awards show like B & B. Quite honestly; it was absolutely unnecessary for the Honorable Minister of Tourism and Arts Slyvia Masebo, to make a speech. I think for such awards certain traditions need to be avoided. This issue of speeches deserves a blog of its own. It should not be mandatory for government dignitaries to read speeches at every event they attend. Presenting the Video of the Year Award was enough reverence for the minister; I do not think people were too impressed to have to sit through a speech.

My opinion is that Innocent Kalaluka and company are doing a tremendous job by providing musicians a platform to air their music videos. However, when it comes to the organisation of the Born and Bred Awards, it is time they stopped living in denial and admit that the task is too Herculean for their capabilities. It is in the best interest of the Awards that the organisation is outsourced to individuals who have the capacity to deliver a show of international standard. At the moment, Zambia does not have a show that is even of an international calibre and I am so rooting that Born and Bred Awards can be that show. So it’s time the Born and Bred Award organisers stop living in denial and repeat after me,

“Hi we are the Born and Bred Organisers, and we are not good at organising!”