Music of Namibia
Encyclopedia
The music of Namibia
has a number of folk styles, as well as pop
, rock
, reggae
, jazz
, house
and hip hop
. The Sanlam-NBC Music Awards and the Namibian Music Awards
are two separate institutions that give out annual awards at shows on December 2 and May 6 respectively . The Namibia Society of Composers and Authors of Music (NASCAM) has helped promote Namibian music within and outside the country, but despite this, the Namibian music industry remains undeveloped, with no major record labels or distribution infrastructure. A lack of focus to produce economically viable Namibian music products and the absence of effective marketing and distribution structures are two of the factors inherently hampering the development of the local music industry.
s and at Traditional Festivals, such as the Caprivi Arts Festival. Folk music accompanies storytelling
or dancing. The Namaqu use various strings, flutes and drums while the Bantu use xylophone
s, gourds and horn trumpets.
music
is also popular in Namibia. Afrikaans music primarily influenced by Europe
an folk music
. In Namibian it is more popular among the white communities. Stefan Ludik
is the most successful Afrikaans musician.
, R&B, Soul
, reggae
, afro-pop, house
and kwaito
. Upon Namibia's independence Jackson Kaujeua
and Ras Sheehama
had been the most outstanding Namibian performers. Kaujeua had been performing since the 70's in exile, he perform a mixed of Namibia's traditional genres mixed with afro-pop/gospel sounds. Sheehama perform reggae, in footsteps of reggae late legends Bob Marley
and Lucky Dube
. Sheehama has performed in Jamaica
, Cuba
, UK, Switzerland
and the Czech Republic
. Other early Namibian musician includes a Damara group called People Choice, who was popular between 1996 and 1998, a kwaito trio called Matongo Family, Boli Mootseng, X-Plode with members (Jaicee James, Lizell Swarts & Christi Nomath Warner http://sites.google.com/site/warnerchristi/), oshiwambo indigenous rapper Shikololo and R&B turn-producer Big Ben. Big Ben has eventually become the most respected artist through his Afro_pop and Fusion with his live shows. In fact he is one of the very few that performs all his shows with a live band while many still performs with backing tracks. Namibian stars such as Stefan Ludik, The Dogg
, Gazza
, Gal Level
, EeS
, Fyzel MC, Lady May
, and Sunny Boy have become continental celebrities.
, Petu, Ngatu, who has been performing since 1994, Mighty Dreeds and EeS, a Namibian German
based multi genre performer. In the early eighties a band called We Culture was formed in Katututra and this turned to be Namibia's first reggae band. Another band followed called Roots rebels also based in the Katutura location. The Namibian independence came and most of the Namibian population that was in exile came back to Namibian and bands like Young Dreads later renamed as Mighty Dreads, Ras Sheehama, Los Amadeus, Omidi d Afrique, Shem Yetu, Organised Crime and 40Thieves. Most of this bands faded or became one and a group of young Namibian reggae musicians came up later. Most of the Mighty Dread band members left and formed Formular band or engage into solo careers. DancehalL, Ragga and Dub was gaining popularity and singers like Ngatu(from the Mighty Dread), Doren, Iron Roots, Ras Kasera came up with a new blend of Ragga Dancehall. EeS is also respected in the R&B, hip hop and kwaito genres of Namibia. Buju Bantuan aka Katjoko (not to be confused with Jamaica
's Buju Banton
), the late La Chox and Kamasutra are one of the youngest reggae artist, Faizel Mc the king of th jungle, being a part of the kwiku style, most of his love is based on this category Afrobeat. Prominent kwaito artist Gazza has also associated himself with the genre, he has made quite a good reggae songs as well as Killa-B. It's also believed that he is multi genre talented, like EeS, he also experiments with hip hop, dancehall
and R&B.
is widely celebrated by the white communities of Namibia. Die Vögel is one of Namibia's most outstanding rock n roll bands. The band had success with the German
-speaking Namibians during the 70s. Stefan Ludik was Namibia's first Big Brother Africa
participant. He participated in Big Brother Africa 1
. Today he is a successful rock n roll and pop music
ian and actor. His music is more popular among the Namibian and South African white communities. G3 a duo of two young Namibians gained success with their hit single "Olupandu" in 2005.
music and culture has a big influence on the Namibian youth, with influence from American slain rappers Tupac Shakur
and The Notorious B.I.G.
, and others like Nas
, Jay-Z
, Snoop Dogg
, Dr. Dre
and Eminem
. Most of the urban Namibian youth has adopted a hip hop lifestyle; this includes their dressing code. Early Namibian hip hop acts includes a group called Dungeon Family, which was composed of the newly recreated group The Kalaharians and the popular girl duo Gal Level
. Shikololo, Fidel O'del, Pablo, Dore, Kanibal, Catty Catt, Lalu, OmPuff, Zero Degrees, the now defunct Walvis Bay
based Desert Eagles who spawned artist's such as LYRIC aka The NomadPoet, Mark aka WestCoast Finest, Swakop City
MC's the Naughty Crew and Krazie-D of Otjiwarongo
were also among the first hip hop performers. Popular and most successful hip hop artists include Katutura
native Jericho
, Kanibal, Snazzy, Rizzy, A-51, a group of native Angolans
, and D-Jay, who has lived most of his life between Walvis Bay
and Chicago
, United States
. Other rappers in the spotlight include Tesh, Saint, G-Ride, Krespo, Lil' D, KK, Dante, and Contract Killers. Some artists rap in their indigenous languages including, Oshiwambo, Damara-Nama, and Afrikaans
. The Namibian hip hop industry has been in competition with the kwaito industry. Though hip hop is popular among the youth, most of them are more interested in international hip hop, especially that from the USA. For this reason the kwaito industry has more support and is growing faster.
/afro-pop and R&B. Afro-pop is the African style of wester-pop. The Namibian R&B/pop genre has produced continental celebrated duo Gal Level
and solo singers African Boy, Christi Nomath Warnerhttp://sites.google.com/site/warnerchristi/ (who uses her poetry as basis for her lyrics) & Lady May. Te Quila and Jewelz are one of the most promising R&B/pop singers of Namibia. Male artist such as Rodger and Nasti are also popular they all show influence from Ne-Yo
, Mario, and Chris Brown. Jossy Joss and Big Ben are one of the earliest singers of Namibia.
. The trio was the first to embark on the Namibian stage with kwaito, they've been famous since 1998, and were the only established kwaito musicians until 2002. Other early kwaito performers include Pablo and Guti Fruit. The Dogg
, Legg-Ghetto, and Gazza
are also considered as one of the earliest and pioneers of the Namibian kwaito genre. The Dogg and Gazza helped change and shape the genre to what it is today. Soon after their arrival in the Namibian music industry, the focus on international artist has decline. For this reason the two are not only acknowledge for their contribution to the kwaito genre but to the Namibian music at large. Other remarkable figures include Sunny Boy, Qonja
, Bone Chuck, Uno Boy, and Dollar 6 who entered the industry following The Dogg and Gazza. The genre has grown big and it contains more artists than any other genres in Namibia. Other popular kwaito artist include Tre Van Die Kasie
, OmPuff, Chipolopolo, Zanele, OmZoo, T-Kop7, PDK, and Max. The Dogg's debut album, Shimaliw' Osatana
is considered the blueprint of Namibia's kwaito, due to the fact that it became the first kwaito album released in Namibia by an Namibian artist. Other albums that helped shape the Namibian kwaito genre include, Zula II Survive
(Gazza), Take Out Yo Gun
(Dogg), Koek n Jam
(Qonja
), and Y. B. G.
(Sunny Boy). A large number of kwaito musicians remains underground due to lack of promotion and support.
, African house is based on African traditional melodies. The African house genre has been popularized in South African. It is characterized by a fast moving beat with thin melodies and synthesizers. Sometimes it is accompanied by vocals. DJ Kboz is one of Namibia first house DJ's. He mix and master songs by other artist. He has released an album titled Strickly Street House, Volume 1 in 2007. DJ Kboz is also a producer having worked with almost every established artist. DJ Khalu & DJ Ex are also one of the few house DJ's in Namibia. DJ Khalu released two albums Vision 2030, Vol. 1 in 2007 and Vision 2030, Vol. 2 in 2008. DJ Ex (also a producer), released his debut Gate Crush, Volume 1 in 2008. Pierre Pienaar
also produces House music under the aliases "Melodia" and "Deep Sequence" which has been released on international labels like the UK based "Big In Ibiza" and Nukleuz
, as well as appearing on compilation albums like "Booom 8 mixed by Paul Almeida" on Just Music and "Essential Hit Picks 3" by 5FM and Supersport DJ and presenter, Sasha Martinengo.
In 2007 the first Namibian festival took place with bands like CfD (USA), subMission (Namibia), Wrust (Botswana), Neblina (Angola), Delusion Of Grandeur (Namibia), followed by two other editions in 2008 and 2009 including artists like Lady Axe (South Africa), Juggernaught (South Africa), Azrail (South Africa), etc.
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
has a number of folk styles, as well as pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
. The Sanlam-NBC Music Awards and the Namibian Music Awards
Namibian Music Awards
The Namibian Music Awards ', also referred to as Namibian Music Awards is a Namibian award show that annually honors established recording artists...
are two separate institutions that give out annual awards at shows on December 2 and May 6 respectively . The Namibia Society of Composers and Authors of Music (NASCAM) has helped promote Namibian music within and outside the country, but despite this, the Namibian music industry remains undeveloped, with no major record labels or distribution infrastructure. A lack of focus to produce economically viable Namibian music products and the absence of effective marketing and distribution structures are two of the factors inherently hampering the development of the local music industry.
Folk Music
Traditional Namibian dance occurs at events such as weddingWedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s and at Traditional Festivals, such as the Caprivi Arts Festival. Folk music accompanies storytelling
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
or dancing. The Namaqu use various strings, flutes and drums while the Bantu use xylophone
Xylophone
The xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
s, gourds and horn trumpets.
- The Herero people's oviritje is popularly known as konsert. Otjiherero is the primary language of Oviritje music. Oviritje was made popular by "The Willa ya Hakane" (The Wild Dogs) from the OkakararaOtjozondjupaOtjozondjupa region is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. An outstanding landmark within this region is the Waterberg Plateau Park. Administration offices are based in Otjiwarongo which is the largest town in the region....
area with their hit song "Kaondeka" (A praise song about the Waterberg Mountains): other artists include Okazera from the Omaheke Region, the first group to include a San-speaking member, Bullet ya Kaoko, based in OpuwoOpuwoOpuwo is the capital of the Kunene Region in north-western Namibia. The town is situated about 720 km north-northwest from the capital Windhoek, and has a population of 5,100...
in the Kunene RegionKunene RegionKunene is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia and home to the Himba ethnic group. Compared to the rest of Namibia, it is relatively underdeveloped...
, Tuponda, Katja, Millenium, Kareke and the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based oviritje queen Kakazona ua Kavari.
- Ma/gaisa, the popular dance music genre commonly known as Damara Punch, has produced household names like Stanley, PhuraPhuraPhura is an important and census town in Mara Autonomous District Council in southern part of Mizoram state in Northeast India. It is the only plain area within Maraland. It is often called as the barn of Maraland due to its large production of rice from the fields in the plain surrounding the...
and Raphel & Pele (Marurus di /Gereseb), all with Welwitchia Music Production, SwakopmundSwakopmundSwakopmund is a city on the coast of northwestern Namibia, west of Windhoek, Namibia's capital. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. As a seaside resort, the weather is cooler here in December to January so the territorial administration moves to Swakopmund for these months...
, Axue and Om Backos. The genre was derived from Damara traditional music and is mainly sung in Khoekhoegowab or Nama/Damara. Castro, an Oshiwambo native speaker, is one of the few non-Damara singers to experiment with it.
- Shambo, the traditional dance music of the Oshiwambo-speaking people, derives its name from "Shambo Shakambode" - "music". In the late nineties Yoba Valombola blended existing Oshiwambo music widely popularised by folk guitarist Kwela, Kangwe Keenyala, Boetie Simon, Lexington and Meme Nanghili na Shima. Later Setson and the Mighty Dread Band combined these and other Namibian styles and this was the birth of Shambo shakambode music. Yoba based Shambo on a dominant guitar, a rhythm guitar, percussion and a heavy "talking" basslineBasslineA bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
. Themes range from love to war and history. Young Namibian musicians contributed sampled tracks backed by a blend of house music and Kwaito. Prominent shambo musicians include Tunakie, Tate Kwela and D-NaffD-NaffNaftalie Shigwedha Amukwelele commonly known as D-Naff, is a Namibian award-winning rapper/singer, and a former street gangster. D-Naff sings inspirational religious music in the style of kwaito, hip hop, kizomba, dancehall and afro-pop...
, also a gospelGospelA gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
musician. Kwiku mixes shambo with Kwassa kwassaKwassa kwassaKwassa kwassa is a dance rhythm from the Democratic Republic of the Congo that started in the 1970s where the hips move back and forth while the hands move to follow the hips. It was very popular in Africa in the late 1980s. The words kwassa kwassa may have come from the French quoi ça?...
. The genre was made popular by Tate Buti and his sister Janice with Faizel MC on the song "Kwiku". It is listened to by most Namibians including Basters and Coloureds. In 2005 it was recognized by the Namibia Society of Composers and Authors of Music (NASCAM) as one of Namibia's folk music genres. The annual Sanlam-NBC Music Awards also included it as one of their awarding genres in 2005. Other kwiku artists include trio PDK, Olavi, Killa B, Castro, Faizel MC, Tunakie, and the late YT de Wet.
- Hikwa or hip hop/kwaito is genre established by Sunny Boy. According to Sunny Boy, hikwa is a combination of hip hopHip hopHip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and kwaitoKwaitoKwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music featuring the use of African sounds and samples. Typically at a slower tempo range than other styles of house music, Kwaito often contains catchy melodic and percussive loop samples,...
. The lyrical artist established the genre through his album Young, Black en GiftedYoung, Black en GiftedYoung, Black en Gifted, commonly referred to as Y.B.G., is Sunny Boy's debut album, released in December 2005 after Sunny was signed to Mshasho Records in 2004. Young, Black en Gifted boosted Sunny's commercial popularity, thus making him a common household name among mainstream music fans. The...
to accommodate his rhythmical rapping with slow tempo kwaito beats. Most kwaito songs are characterized by singing, chant, rhythmic-screaming, repetitive verses and chorus, and occasional rapping. Sunny Boy's songs structures are identified by a chorus and separate verses, similar to hip hop. Beats have a slower tempo than kwaito but faster than hip hop. Other artists who use a similar style include Tre VDK and OmPuff, from Sunny Boy's former label, Mshasho, Chipolopoolo, QonjaQonjaTukonjela Haiyambo Ngodji , better know by his stage name as Qonja is a Namibian kwaito star and rapper. He rose to fame following his hit songs 54321 and Koek n Jam which he recorded with his friend Mappz. His work has been admired and praised by Namibia's top kwaito artists such as The Dogg,...
, Mappz, and Exit & Mushe. Hikwa also has award category both at the Namibian Music AwardsNamibian Music AwardsThe Namibian Music Awards ', also referred to as Namibian Music Awards is a Namibian award show that annually honors established recording artists...
and Sanlam Music Awards.
Afrikaans music
AfrikaansAfrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
is also popular in Namibia. Afrikaans music primarily influenced by Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
. In Namibian it is more popular among the white communities. Stefan Ludik
Stefan Ludick
Stefan Ludik is a Namibian musician, actor and former cricketer from Windhoek City. He was the first contestant to represent Namibia in the reality television program Big Brother Africa.- Cricket career :...
is the most successful Afrikaans musician.
Popular Music
Popular styles of music in Namibia include hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
, R&B, Soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
, afro-pop, house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and kwaito
Kwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the 1990s. It is a variant of house music featuring the use of African sounds and samples. Typically at a slower tempo range than other styles of house music, Kwaito often contains catchy melodic and percussive loop samples,...
. Upon Namibia's independence Jackson Kaujeua
Jackson Kaujeua
Jackson Kaujeua was a Namibian musician, composer and gospel singer, and a veteran of the Namibian struggle for independence. He sang in various Namibian languages including Afrikaans and English....
and Ras Sheehama
Ras Sheehama
Ras Sheehama is a Namibian reggae musician. The political pro-SWAPO stance of his father forced him into exile in 1979 to Angola and Zambia. There he started to develop his love for the reggae-music and begin to play guitar. In Zambia for the first time he got in contact with the Rastafari and...
had been the most outstanding Namibian performers. Kaujeua had been performing since the 70's in exile, he perform a mixed of Namibia's traditional genres mixed with afro-pop/gospel sounds. Sheehama perform reggae, in footsteps of reggae late legends Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
and Lucky Dube
Lucky Dube
Lucky Philip Dube was a South African reggae musician. He recorded 22 albums in Zulu, English and Afrikaans in a 25-year period and was South Africa's biggest selling reggae artist...
. Sheehama has performed in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, UK, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. Other early Namibian musician includes a Damara group called People Choice, who was popular between 1996 and 1998, a kwaito trio called Matongo Family, Boli Mootseng, X-Plode with members (Jaicee James, Lizell Swarts & Christi Nomath Warner http://sites.google.com/site/warnerchristi/), oshiwambo indigenous rapper Shikololo and R&B turn-producer Big Ben. Big Ben has eventually become the most respected artist through his Afro_pop and Fusion with his live shows. In fact he is one of the very few that performs all his shows with a live band while many still performs with backing tracks. Namibian stars such as Stefan Ludik, The Dogg
The Dogg
Martin Morocky , known by his stage name as The Dogg is a Namibian multi-award winning musician, producer and actor. He's one of the most outstanding artists in Namibia and is considered one of the pioneers of Namibia's kwaito genre. His debut album Shimaliw' Osatana, released in 2004, was...
, Gazza
Gazza (artist)
Lazaruz Karandu Shiimi known by his stage name as Gazza, is a Namibian kwaito musician from Oshakati. As a soccer lover, he nicknamed himself Gazza after famous English soccer player Paul Gascoigne. He is one of the most commercially successful recording artists in Namibia...
, Gal Level
Gal Level
Gal Level is an award-winning R&B girl duo from Windhoek, Namibia, made up of Daphne Willibard and Frieda Haindaka . They are very popular in Southern Africa, and other African countries. They are produced and managed by continental music producers Ogopa Deejays of Kenya...
, EeS
EES
EES may refer to:* Embedded Entertainment System, the first video game system developed in Central America.* Engineering Equation Solver, a thermodynamic heat-based software for solving technical engineering problems* Electric Eel Shock, a Japanese rock band...
, Fyzel MC, Lady May
Lady May (singer)
Lady May is a Namibian singer. Martha claim to fame in 2004 with the release of her first album Kamali which won her her first award at the Sanlam-NBC Music Awards. Martha is one of the most popular female singers in Namibia...
, and Sunny Boy have become continental celebrities.
Reggae/Dancehall/AfroBeat
The Namibian reggae platform has produced artist such as Ras SheehamaRas Sheehama
Ras Sheehama is a Namibian reggae musician. The political pro-SWAPO stance of his father forced him into exile in 1979 to Angola and Zambia. There he started to develop his love for the reggae-music and begin to play guitar. In Zambia for the first time he got in contact with the Rastafari and...
, Petu, Ngatu, who has been performing since 1994, Mighty Dreeds and EeS, a Namibian German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
based multi genre performer. In the early eighties a band called We Culture was formed in Katututra and this turned to be Namibia's first reggae band. Another band followed called Roots rebels also based in the Katutura location. The Namibian independence came and most of the Namibian population that was in exile came back to Namibian and bands like Young Dreads later renamed as Mighty Dreads, Ras Sheehama, Los Amadeus, Omidi d Afrique, Shem Yetu, Organised Crime and 40Thieves. Most of this bands faded or became one and a group of young Namibian reggae musicians came up later. Most of the Mighty Dread band members left and formed Formular band or engage into solo careers. DancehalL, Ragga and Dub was gaining popularity and singers like Ngatu(from the Mighty Dread), Doren, Iron Roots, Ras Kasera came up with a new blend of Ragga Dancehall. EeS is also respected in the R&B, hip hop and kwaito genres of Namibia. Buju Bantuan aka Katjoko (not to be confused with Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
's Buju Banton
Buju Banton
Buju Banton is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae musician.Banton has recorded pop and dance songs, as well as songs dealing with sociopolitical topics....
), the late La Chox and Kamasutra are one of the youngest reggae artist, Faizel Mc the king of th jungle, being a part of the kwiku style, most of his love is based on this category Afrobeat. Prominent kwaito artist Gazza has also associated himself with the genre, he has made quite a good reggae songs as well as Killa-B. It's also believed that he is multi genre talented, like EeS, he also experiments with hip hop, dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
and R&B.
Rock n Roll
Rock n rollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
is widely celebrated by the white communities of Namibia. Die Vögel is one of Namibia's most outstanding rock n roll bands. The band had success with the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
-speaking Namibians during the 70s. Stefan Ludik was Namibia's first Big Brother Africa
Big Brother Africa
Big Brother Africa is a television program produced by Endemol. The show initially involved 12 countries within Africa with two countries being added in season 4...
participant. He participated in Big Brother Africa 1
Big Brother Africa 1
The first season of Big Brother Africa began on May 25, 2003 and ended on September 7 of the same year, lasting 106 days. Mark Pilgrim was the host.-Housemates:*Abby...
. Today he is a successful rock n roll and pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
ian and actor. His music is more popular among the Namibian and South African white communities. G3 a duo of two young Namibians gained success with their hit single "Olupandu" in 2005.
Township Disco / Bubblegum
Is better known as Bubblegum Mapantshula Afro pop that's the rhythm who brings the legends like late Brenda Fassie and the Big Dudes,Chicco Twala,Dan Nkosi,Ebony, Richard Makhubale of Volcano,Dan Tsahnda of Splash,Yvonne Chaka Chaka,Alec OmKhali of Umoja. Gabkoz also is better known for such type of music in Namibia but there are like's of Specco,Scorpion,Ocean Girls,Mr. Tjiuti, Raindrops, Sonic Witness,The Couples,Right Choice,Manelo, and People Choice band.Don't forget Erick Mahua, Rirua Murangi and Chicco of Chiccolela Production who have contributed much in these genre to produce many up coming artist like Skilpad who got much interest in syth sound of the original tune of township keyboards instrument.Hip hop
Hip hopHip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
music and culture has a big influence on the Namibian youth, with influence from American slain rappers Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
and The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
, and others like Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
and Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
. Most of the urban Namibian youth has adopted a hip hop lifestyle; this includes their dressing code. Early Namibian hip hop acts includes a group called Dungeon Family, which was composed of the newly recreated group The Kalaharians and the popular girl duo Gal Level
Gal Level
Gal Level is an award-winning R&B girl duo from Windhoek, Namibia, made up of Daphne Willibard and Frieda Haindaka . They are very popular in Southern Africa, and other African countries. They are produced and managed by continental music producers Ogopa Deejays of Kenya...
. Shikololo, Fidel O'del, Pablo, Dore, Kanibal, Catty Catt, Lalu, OmPuff, Zero Degrees, the now defunct Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay , is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies...
based Desert Eagles who spawned artist's such as LYRIC aka The NomadPoet, Mark aka WestCoast Finest, Swakop City
Swakopmund
Swakopmund is a city on the coast of northwestern Namibia, west of Windhoek, Namibia's capital. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. As a seaside resort, the weather is cooler here in December to January so the territorial administration moves to Swakopmund for these months...
MC's the Naughty Crew and Krazie-D of Otjiwarongo
Otjiwarongo
Otjiwarongo is a city of 20,000 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It is the district capital of the Otjiwarongo electoral constituency and also the capital of Otjozondjupa....
were also among the first hip hop performers. Popular and most successful hip hop artists include Katutura
Katutura
Katutura is a township of Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia. Katutura was created in 1961 following the forced removal of Windhoek's black population from the Old Location, which afterwards was developed into the suburb Hochland Park. Sam Nujoma Stadium, built in 2005, is located within Katutura...
native Jericho
Jericho (rapper)
Jericho Jerome Gawanab well known as Jericho and nicknamed J-Twizzle, is a Namibian rapper from Katutura, Windhoek. He's one of the most successful and outstanding MC's in Namibia...
, Kanibal, Snazzy, Rizzy, A-51, a group of native Angolans
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, and D-Jay, who has lived most of his life between Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay
Walvis Bay , is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies...
and Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Other rappers in the spotlight include Tesh, Saint, G-Ride, Krespo, Lil' D, KK, Dante, and Contract Killers. Some artists rap in their indigenous languages including, Oshiwambo, Damara-Nama, and Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
. The Namibian hip hop industry has been in competition with the kwaito industry. Though hip hop is popular among the youth, most of them are more interested in international hip hop, especially that from the USA. For this reason the kwaito industry has more support and is growing faster.
R&B, pop, afro-pop
R&B has been popular in Namibia since the '90s. Namibian R&B singers have influenced the genre with afro-pop. Most of them perform a mixture of popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/afro-pop and R&B. Afro-pop is the African style of wester-pop. The Namibian R&B/pop genre has produced continental celebrated duo Gal Level
Gal Level
Gal Level is an award-winning R&B girl duo from Windhoek, Namibia, made up of Daphne Willibard and Frieda Haindaka . They are very popular in Southern Africa, and other African countries. They are produced and managed by continental music producers Ogopa Deejays of Kenya...
and solo singers African Boy, Christi Nomath Warnerhttp://sites.google.com/site/warnerchristi/ (who uses her poetry as basis for her lyrics) & Lady May. Te Quila and Jewelz are one of the most promising R&B/pop singers of Namibia. Male artist such as Rodger and Nasti are also popular they all show influence from Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
, Mario, and Chris Brown. Jossy Joss and Big Ben are one of the earliest singers of Namibia.
Kwaito
The kwaito genre is the most popular and successful music genre in Namibia. It's believed to be the biggest industry in Namibia's music and the only that is heavily supported by the youth. This is so because of socio-economic issues, as many artists enter the music industry with hopes of strengthening self-employment and making a living out of it. Namibian kwaito has been strengthened and directly influenced by the South African kwaito style. However, over the years Namibia introduced a different type of kwaito, which makes it slightly different from the South African tradition. The difference lies in production, Namibian producers focus their production on party oriented music. Pioneers of the Namibian kwaito include Matongo Family of KatuturaKatutura
Katutura is a township of Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia. Katutura was created in 1961 following the forced removal of Windhoek's black population from the Old Location, which afterwards was developed into the suburb Hochland Park. Sam Nujoma Stadium, built in 2005, is located within Katutura...
. The trio was the first to embark on the Namibian stage with kwaito, they've been famous since 1998, and were the only established kwaito musicians until 2002. Other early kwaito performers include Pablo and Guti Fruit. The Dogg
The Dogg
Martin Morocky , known by his stage name as The Dogg is a Namibian multi-award winning musician, producer and actor. He's one of the most outstanding artists in Namibia and is considered one of the pioneers of Namibia's kwaito genre. His debut album Shimaliw' Osatana, released in 2004, was...
, Legg-Ghetto, and Gazza
Gazza (artist)
Lazaruz Karandu Shiimi known by his stage name as Gazza, is a Namibian kwaito musician from Oshakati. As a soccer lover, he nicknamed himself Gazza after famous English soccer player Paul Gascoigne. He is one of the most commercially successful recording artists in Namibia...
are also considered as one of the earliest and pioneers of the Namibian kwaito genre. The Dogg and Gazza helped change and shape the genre to what it is today. Soon after their arrival in the Namibian music industry, the focus on international artist has decline. For this reason the two are not only acknowledge for their contribution to the kwaito genre but to the Namibian music at large. Other remarkable figures include Sunny Boy, Qonja
Qonja
Tukonjela Haiyambo Ngodji , better know by his stage name as Qonja is a Namibian kwaito star and rapper. He rose to fame following his hit songs 54321 and Koek n Jam which he recorded with his friend Mappz. His work has been admired and praised by Namibia's top kwaito artists such as The Dogg,...
, Bone Chuck, Uno Boy, and Dollar 6 who entered the industry following The Dogg and Gazza. The genre has grown big and it contains more artists than any other genres in Namibia. Other popular kwaito artist include Tre Van Die Kasie
Tre Van Die Kasie
Tretius Kauhangengo , better known as Tre Van Die Kasie, most commonly referred to as Tre is a Namibian kwaito musician and rapper. Tre rose to fame after signing with Mshasho Productions in 2005. He is the half brother of fellow kwaito musician, Kavax.-Biography:Tre was born and raised in Omaruru...
, OmPuff, Chipolopolo, Zanele, OmZoo, T-Kop7, PDK, and Max. The Dogg's debut album, Shimaliw' Osatana
Shimaliw' Osatana
Shimaliw' Osatana is the debut album by Namibian kwaito master The Dogg, released in February 2004 through RC-Ghetto Records. Shimaliw' Osatana was the first full length kwaito album released in Namibia. The album was immediately hailed as a masterpiece by several critics, and is today one of the...
is considered the blueprint of Namibia's kwaito, due to the fact that it became the first kwaito album released in Namibia by an Namibian artist. Other albums that helped shape the Namibian kwaito genre include, Zula II Survive
Zula II Survive
Zula II Survive is the second album by Namibian kwaito artist Gazza. The album adopted more kwaito than Tanauka, and till today is considered Gazza's best album. Zula II Survive together with The Dogg's Shimaliw' Osatana and Take Out Yo Gun are considered the first albums that shaped the Namibian...
(Gazza), Take Out Yo Gun
Take Out Yo Gun
Take Out Yo Gun is the second album by kwaito star The Dogg, released in December 2004. The album has received many positive reviews from critics despite the fact that it was released the same year as Shimaliw' Osatana. Take Out Yo Gun was the first album to be released on The Dogg's own label...
(Dogg), Koek n Jam
Koek n Jam
Koek n Jam is the debut album by Namibian kwaito star Qonja. The album was released on his own label Lowkey Records. It features his two successful hits 54321 and Koek n Jam which he recorded with his friend and label mate Mappz. The album features production from Fredro and Christian Poloni...
(Qonja
Qonja
Tukonjela Haiyambo Ngodji , better know by his stage name as Qonja is a Namibian kwaito star and rapper. He rose to fame following his hit songs 54321 and Koek n Jam which he recorded with his friend Mappz. His work has been admired and praised by Namibia's top kwaito artists such as The Dogg,...
), and Y. B. G.
Young, Black en Gifted
Young, Black en Gifted, commonly referred to as Y.B.G., is Sunny Boy's debut album, released in December 2005 after Sunny was signed to Mshasho Records in 2004. Young, Black en Gifted boosted Sunny's commercial popularity, thus making him a common household name among mainstream music fans. The...
(Sunny Boy). A large number of kwaito musicians remains underground due to lack of promotion and support.
House
House music is the African form of rave musicRave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
, African house is based on African traditional melodies. The African house genre has been popularized in South African. It is characterized by a fast moving beat with thin melodies and synthesizers. Sometimes it is accompanied by vocals. DJ Kboz is one of Namibia first house DJ's. He mix and master songs by other artist. He has released an album titled Strickly Street House, Volume 1 in 2007. DJ Kboz is also a producer having worked with almost every established artist. DJ Khalu & DJ Ex are also one of the few house DJ's in Namibia. DJ Khalu released two albums Vision 2030, Vol. 1 in 2007 and Vision 2030, Vol. 2 in 2008. DJ Ex (also a producer), released his debut Gate Crush, Volume 1 in 2008. Pierre Pienaar
Pierre Pienaar
Pierre Pienaar is a prolific Namibian dance producer, composer and DJ, currently signed to Nukleuz Records. Under his various aliases he has produced and remixed for artists like Mauro Picotto, Ratty, Mario Più, Lost Witness, Stu Allan, BK, Technikal and many others.He is the Head of Nukleuz Green...
also produces House music under the aliases "Melodia" and "Deep Sequence" which has been released on international labels like the UK based "Big In Ibiza" and Nukleuz
Nukleuz
Nukleuz is a dance record label based in the Clapham area of London, UK. Nukleuz is the home to many artists and compilation series in various genres including trance, UK hardcore, tech house and hard house....
, as well as appearing on compilation albums like "Booom 8 mixed by Paul Almeida" on Just Music and "Essential Hit Picks 3" by 5FM and Supersport DJ and presenter, Sasha Martinengo.
Metal
Since the late 1990's some artists perform heavy metal in Namibia, among those the Arcana XXII, subMission, Delusion Of Grandeur.In 2007 the first Namibian festival took place with bands like CfD (USA), subMission (Namibia), Wrust (Botswana), Neblina (Angola), Delusion Of Grandeur (Namibia), followed by two other editions in 2008 and 2009 including artists like Lady Axe (South Africa), Juggernaught (South Africa), Azrail (South Africa), etc.
Electronic music
In the late nineties an ex Mighty Dread singer(Yoba Valombola, known as Benga), bassist and guitarist came back from Germany with a big influence and eager in change and started an independent label called Big Rat Communication. This was fuelled by the idea of producing Namibia's first electronic music ranging from, Trip hop, Drum and bass, Dubstep and drumstep. Due to the unpopularity of electronic music in Namibia, Yoba released his music only in Europe and America under the name Benga. Most of the electronic music Benga release is based on his early experiments of Reggae, Shambo, blues and rock. Yoba went back to the west and returned again after six years to Namibia to influence other Namibians. Some existing experimental artists like Thomas Swarts, Dtubsen and Joas tried forming a group and due to time and obligations, nothing worked out. Yoba is still based in Germany as an electronic artist and performing with other Namibian artists in Europe: widely as Canada and South America.Namibia's most successful record labels
- Welwitchia Music Production
- Ogopa/Butterfly Entertainment
- Omalaiti Music
- Mshasho ProductionsMshasho ProductionsMshasho Productions, also referred to as, Mshasho Music Productions, and, Mshasho Records is an Namibian record label founded by Namibian musician and producer, Martin "The Dogg" Morocky in 2003. The company is a subsidiary of The Dogg's company Mshasho closed cooperation...
- Gazza Music ProductionsGazza Music ProductionsGazza Music Productions, also referred to as GMP Records, simply known as G.M.P., is an Namibian music production label founded by Gazza in 2004. GMP is one of the most successful music labels in Namibia....
- Lowkey Records
- Lash Attractions
- Yaziza EntertainmentYaziza EntertainmentYaziza Entertainment is an Namibian record label founded by Namibian rapper Sunny Boy in 2006....
External links
- Audio clips - traditional music of Namibia. French National Library. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Big Ben, Skelly and Others, Listen and Buy Music Online
- Home of Namibian music
- Namibian hip hop site
- Omalaeti Music
- Mshasho Productions
- Gazza Music Productions
- DJ Ex
- Pierre Pienaar (aka P.H.A.T.T. / Melodia / Deep Sequence)
- Elemotho
- EeS
- Christi Warner
- Christi Warner
- Namibia music lyrics, audio, video, info