Aletta Shikololo
WINDHOEK – The first ever A Cappella Music Festival in the country which took place over the weekend at Vegkop Stadium attracted a large crowd and left fans and participants craving for more.
The festival, which was hosted by Namibian vocal and a cappella sensation Vocal Motion 6 (VM6) in partnership with Standard Bank Namibia, was aimed to raise funds to address the housing needs of low-income communities living in informal settlements through the Standard Bank Buy-a-Brick initiative.
Speaking at the music festival press conference last week, Buy-a-Brick representative Isack Hamata said that so far the project has built 200 houses across the country and also urged the nation to contribute the little they have to the initiative.
“Next year we will build 380 houses and year after next year, our target is 1000 that is why the festival is important to us to raise funds so we reach our target,” Hamata explained.
In an interview with Entertainment Now! VM6 member and coordinator Vasco Mario said it was a privilege to host such an exciting festival not only to promote Namibian a capella singers but also to help low-income earners with affordable houses.
He added: “The event turned out how we expected it to be. The crowd was amazing and people were so excited about the festival and this is just the beginning.”
Mario was quick to point out they will be having another festival of that kind very soon.
Some of the performers at the festival were Soweto Gospel Choir and The Soil from South Africa, that made the crowd go wild as they sang along to some of the popular songs and so many other amazing performers.
Speaking to Entertainment Now! Buhlebendalo “Soil Sister” Mda from The Soil expressed how grateful she was to be invited to the festival. “This is the first time I am performing in Namibia and it is an amazing country with peaceful people. I am planning to come back again some time soon,” she said.