Gloria Muliro, Willy Paul feted at Groove Awards

President Uhuru Kenyatta (second left) presenting awards to Joy Bringers TV show founders during the Groove Awards on June 1, 2013. Photo/PPS

Gospel artistes Gloria Muliro and Willy Paul were on Saturday night feted at the eighth annual Groove Awards with Safaricom which was graced by President Uhuru Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta. Read (President Kenyatta to attend Groove Awards ceremony)

Gloria Muliro won the coveted female artiste of the year while the fast rising Willy Paul was named the male artiste of the year.

The two had a successful year and collaborated on the “Sitolia” megahit that was one of the top songs of 2012.

The two then had a nasty fall out over the rights of the song but have since worked out their differences and even embraced on stage with Paul calling her “my mum.”

Gloria Muliro and Willy Paul were just the cherry on top of a successful night that awarded some of gospel’s best in what is the most prestigious event in the Kenyan entertainment calendar.

NTV’s gospel show Crossover won the Television show of the year beating out stiff competition from Citizen’s Kubamba show and KTN’s Tukuza. It was a good night for Crossover after DJ MO won the DJ of the year trophy.

David Nthiwa, the host of the the popular 90s gospel show Joy Bringers was honoured posthumously for his role in promoting gospel music in the country. Nthiwa died last year.

Singer and song writer Mercy Wairegi of the “Nakutazamia” fame walked away with the Song writer of the year which was one of the most awaited award and she rightly deserved it.

It was a night of new talent as most big names were not even nominated for the show and the notable bigwigs were Daddy Owen and Jiimmy Gait.

Gait walked away with the song of the year which was received with shock by many after it beat out Willy Paul and Gloria Muliro’s “Sitolia” which was a crowd favourite but looks like Gait’s fans did more than just dance along to the song, they voted.

Daddy Owen, who has dominated the awards did not win any award.

Tanzanian artistes Rose Muhando and Christina Shusho won the Skiza song of the year and artiste of the year respectively.

The awards were very different this year as it was graced by the president who received a thunderous reception on arrival.

He told those present that he had to force himself to stay seated as he didn’t know if it was presidential to get down in song and dance.

“I don’t know if a president is allowed to dance, I am still trying to learn a few things,” President Kenyatta joked.

He then tackled serious issues facing the entertainment industry like piracy directing Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Art Hassan Wario to step up measures to protect musicians and other artistes from copyright infringement.

“Kenyan music industry has witnessed exponential growth and the government is committed to ensure that arts are no longer a footnote but a driver of the country’s economic agenda,” said President Kenyatta.

He lauded Kenya’s music industry saying his government is ready to engage with entertainers to help grow the industry.

“Our doors are open to engage with representative from the music and related industries to help to catapult our entertainment sector to compete globally,” said President Kenyatta.

Hassan Wario, who termed his ministry as the “ministry of fun” echoed one of Uhuru’s campaign manifestos of constructing an ultramodern national theatre for the arts that will help “discover, nurture and promote local artistes.”

He said the government was still keen on ensuring that TV stations aired 60 per cent local content.

“I know you are tired of Mexican soaps and we want you to see your aunt, uncle when you turn on the TV and not Antonio,” added Wario.

His statement that local artistes deserved to earn more from music downloads was very well received by the many artistes present.