WINDHOEK– The Franco Namibia Cultural Centre (FNCC) tonight presents Acoustic Friday featuring freedom and independence songs and classics by Namibian musicians who have passed on at the FNCC Terrace.
The audience will be entertained by pioneers of jazz in Namibia, the Original Jazz Masters (OJM), with melodies and rhythms of township jazz, accompanied by performances by Elemotho, Ngatu and Formula Band, and Blend (Nunu Namises & Christian Polloni).
“Few witnesses remain today who still recall the glorious days of township jazz in Namibia’s shantytowns in the fifties and sixties. It was a time when the day’s toils and troubles were put aside for a moment, when the bands sounded their instruments at sunset and people gathered around them in the local community halls. Young men shined their dancing shoes, women donned their petty-coats and the party continued until late after midnight,” says Ernest Herma, the OJM spokesperson about the band that came together in 2003. Since it has been playing township jazz reminiscent of olden the days of the Old Location.
Herma says the rhythm section of OJM represent the new generation of young jazz musicians in Namibia, Lebo Mothabeng on drums, Baby Doeseb on electric guitar and Sebastian Vries on bass. “Experience the real township jazz through the background of some of the OJM songs,” Herma entices. Tickets are N$40 in advance and N$60 at the door. The show starts at 20h00.