The nominees in the DStvMVCA category of “Favourite Song” have been known for about a week now, and it’s become obvious – if we may borrow a cliché – that “teamwork makes the dream work”. Literally every single one of the nominated songs is the result of a collaboration or feature. Let’s review, then, the category’s assorted hopefuls.
Zakes Bantwini and Kasango – “Osama”
Fittingly, the song that introduces this list might be the one that needs the least introduction. Released in September 2021, it debuted at number one on South African charts – and stayed there for ten weeks. This is not exactly Bantwini’s first time at an awards show – his excellent musical arrangements have always been behind some of South Africa’s biggest club favourites. “Osama” delivers a decidedly-understated electronic-based rhythm section, punctuated by the very lightest of pads to round out the sound, resulting in an upbeat, smile-inducing track that’s earned its place on this list.
Kabza de Small and DJ Maphorisa ft Ami Faku – “Asibe Happy”
Another understated entry in the category, “Asibe Happy” is what happens when the production just gets the hell out of the way to let the vocalist hold things down. Ami Faku’s silky voice is the primary focus in this track, and for good reason: she’s really pleasant to hear. Musically, the rest of the track is almost all percussion (or some variation of it), but the tempo comes in the form of a muted shaker – reminiscent of a calabash – leaving plenty of room for Faku to take the listener on a journey of her choosing.
Young Stunna ft Kabza de Small and DJ Maphorisa – “Adiwele”
Kabza de Small and DJ Maphorisa make their second entry onto this list, this time with Young Stunna and the unsurprisingly more upbeat vocal stylings present in “Adiwele”. That’s not to say that this track is very “full” – it isn’t. It is, in fact, decidedly–sparse, which is not atypical of this genre. The result is without question a dance tune, but one that leaves the choice of how to dance up to the listeners on the dancefloor.
Makhadzi ft Prince Benza – “Ghanama”
Makhadzi’s been having a good time of it, lately. Her career has been on a meteoric rise, of late, as evidenced by her being invited to perform during a live show on the resent Big Brother Mzansi. Unlike many of the other singers on these tracks, she and Prince Benza really lean into the digital vibe, with autotune being front and centre, and the rest of the track just deliver the beats in double time, half time, trips… you name it. Whatever works, they’ve used it.
Big Zulu ft Intaba Yase Dubai and Riky Rick - “Imali Eningi”
The final track on this list throws a grand total of three vocalists into the mix, including a contribution from the late, great Riky Rick. It’s hard to listen to this track given what we know about how he died, and it’s impossible to escape the feelings that boil up when immersing oneself in the poignant tone from each of the vocalists. A celebration of success, the track is also a reminder of how fleeting it can be. That said, the track has been successful, with more than 12 million streams at the time of writing.
There you have it – the five nominees in the category of “Favourite Song”. Who will take top honours on the big night? Well, that’s up to you. Voting closes on 11 June, so you still have time to get your votes in. You can do that right here.