ON SUNDAY gospel star Betusile Mcinga emerged as the best newcomer at the SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards.
The only problem is he has already released two albums.
The son of gospel powerhouse Lusanda debuted with Mandibe Ngowakho in 2007, followed by Inceba Zika Jesu in 2010, both through major record label Gallo Music. His third album Kuphelele was released through an independent label. His song Zundithwale won song of the year at the gospel awards.
In the best newcomer category, Mcinga was competing with the Dube Brothers, Tsotso, Pastor Jonas Masotla and Chosen.
But the organisers of the awards are not bothered by this breach of the universal rule for best newcomers - that they should not have released an album or collected royalties.
Sipho Sithole, record company owner and executive member of South African Music Rights Organisation (Samro), said: "The best newcomer award is normally awarded to someone who has produced outstanding work in his or her first album. He is declared a newcomer if he or she has never signed a contract with another recording company or collected any royalties."
However, Sipho Kaleni, spokesman of the SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards insisted Mcinga conducted "a vigorous and robust campaign for votes".
Kaleni confirmed they were aware Mcinga had released two albums , adding that both releases "hardly took off and most people didn't know about them".
"It is this new album, Kuphelele, that has made him a household name.
"Betusile won the best newcomer, as our criteria allows for artists that have released albums before but didn't have a national footprint in their respective released products as independent artists or signed somewhere. Kuphelele is the product which took him nationally recently since he joined the new stable, it is only now that we have learnt of his rise to stardom nationally."
In an interview with Sowetan's sister newspaper Daily Dispatch last year, Mcinga said both albums had sold more than 25000 copies.
Sihle Dube, of Dube Brothers said: "Obviously we are disappointed but there is nothing we can do about that. These are some of the injustices associated with awards.
Sowetan has attempted without success to contact Mcinga.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
Best newcomer award causes a stir
ON SUNDAY gospel star Betusile Mcinga emerged as the best newcomer at the SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards.
The only problem is he has already released two albums.
The son of gospel powerhouse Lusanda debuted with Mandibe Ngowakho in 2007, followed by Inceba Zika Jesu in 2010, both through major record label Gallo Music. His third album Kuphelele was released through an independent label. His song Zundithwale won song of the year at the gospel awards.
In the best newcomer category, Mcinga was competing with the Dube Brothers, Tsotso, Pastor Jonas Masotla and Chosen.
But the organisers of the awards are not bothered by this breach of the universal rule for best newcomers - that they should not have released an album or collected royalties.
Sipho Sithole, record company owner and executive member of South African Music Rights Organisation (Samro), said: "The best newcomer award is normally awarded to someone who has produced outstanding work in his or her first album. He is declared a newcomer if he or she has never signed a contract with another recording company or collected any royalties."
However, Sipho Kaleni, spokesman of the SABC Crown Gospel Music Awards insisted Mcinga conducted "a vigorous and robust campaign for votes".
Kaleni confirmed they were aware Mcinga had released two albums , adding that both releases "hardly took off and most people didn't know about them".
"It is this new album, Kuphelele, that has made him a household name.
"Betusile won the best newcomer, as our criteria allows for artists that have released albums before but didn't have a national footprint in their respective released products as independent artists or signed somewhere. Kuphelele is the product which took him nationally recently since he joined the new stable, it is only now that we have learnt of his rise to stardom nationally."
In an interview with Sowetan's sister newspaper Daily Dispatch last year, Mcinga said both albums had sold more than 25000 copies.
Sihle Dube, of Dube Brothers said: "Obviously we are disappointed but there is nothing we can do about that. These are some of the injustices associated with awards.
Sowetan has attempted without success to contact Mcinga.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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