WINDHOEK– For the first time since its beginning four years ago, the Last Band Satnding (LBS) features an Oviritje genre group.
Winners of the 2013 Namibia Annual Music Awards Best Oviritje category, Ongoro Nomundu is the Oviritje genre group featuring this year. The first round of the series begins tomorrow pitting Famaz Attak, Linda, Wambu & the Seuns against one another. They will be followed by Jaliza & friends, Amakhoe and Mr Green on Wednesday. On February 8, The Sim Sisters, Michael Seraun !Owos-Oab and Pule & Friends will compete against one another followed on February 12 by Ongoro Nomundo, His Sanctuary Gospel Band and Axue & the Birds, while On February 15, Dixon & Band go against Mahetage and Esme & band. Big Mamma, Lady & Sax will go against 3DB on February 19, while Rushhour, Hishishi Papa, and Gerry Dread will try to smash each other. Moj’s, Emelda & friends and Slow will battle it out on stage on 22 February.
The LBS originally started as a very popular programme on the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC)’s television, Live Band, in the late nineties. The initiative was then taken up by the NTN as a platform for musicians, and to give the audience quality live music entertainment. LBS gives both old and new bands an opportunity to showcase their music, and also to enables ‘live music’ to regain its rightful place in Namibia.
Only the winner out of every three bands performing each night will go to the next round meaning only eight of the current 24 bands participating will go through to the next round of the competition.
However, the winner of this year competition walks away with a cash prize of N$50,000, second runner up N$30,000, third runner up N30, 000 and the fourth while fifth runners up walk away withN$10,000.
By Pinehas Nakaziko