Many voices have been raised following the 2023 edition of PRIMUD, regarding how artists are awarded, as well as the voting system. To shed more light on this matter, Molare was a guest on the “Showbuzz” show on Tuesday, November 28, 2023.
The founder of the International Prize for Urban Music and Coupe Decale (PRIMUD), Moriféré Soumahoro, known professionally as Le Molare, was invited to the showbiz program “Show Buzz” broadcasted on the Nouvelle Chaine Ivoirienne (NCI) on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. During his appearance, he assessed the 2023 edition of PRIMUD but also addressed the controversy surrounding the winners.
According to him, there were improvements in this 8th edition. The timing was respected, although there are still things to be corrected for future editions. In fact, there will be changes for upcoming editions. “Things will change because there will be an academy. This way, people will clearly distinguish between my image as the event organizer and the organization of the PRIMUD game. There are always misconceptions leading some to believe that Le Molare takes the trophy to give it to a certain artist. We will set up an academy with professionals who will work on artist nominations throughout the year. Starting from December, there will be rankings every two weeks or every month to monitor the artists’ progress,” clarifies Molare.
He added, “It will be a panel of professionals. For example, there will be those who have won many trophies in the different editions of PRIMUD. There will be people like Didier Bléou, Yves Zogbo Junior, representatives from BURIDA, association of arrangers, managers, DJs, and more. I have noticed that there is an academy in the cinema field, like in the Cannes Festival, where they have an academy president. We had extensive discussions with our supervisory ministry, who will start working with us from January.“
To conclude, the PRIMUD founder refuted the claims of artists who assert that they have spent a significant amount of money on online and SMS voting. He even mentioned that he will soon release statistics to put an end to these baseless speculations. “Those who claim to have spent millions, they should stop. I have asked the platform that handled the figures to provide them to me, so I can post them on social media,” he concludes.
As a reminder, the grand finale of the eighth edition of the International Prize for Urban Music and Coupe Decale (PRIMUD) took place a few weeks ago at the Palais des Congrès of the Sofitel Hôtel Ivoire in Cocody. During this prestigious night, Ivorian rapper Didi B received the Palme d’Or. However, the winners in other categories did not achieve a consensus.
