Windhoek
Songstress, Sally, aka Boss Madam, has finally released her much awaited second album, I am Mukwanekamba.
Namibian has been waiting for the album with baited breath when the songstress gave fans and music lovers alike a taste of what to expect with the release of a single, Sweet Love, a month ago. The Boss Madam who burst into the industry and turned it upside down within just a blink of an eye with her first album, Courage, is once again back with an album worthy listening to.
The first song on the album I am Mukwanekamba may not be a danceable, but a totemic expression of Sally’s roots. It is a first impression of Sally’s intentions this time around. From the first song, to Ndikakwate up to the last song, Mwashala, the album sees the culturally-inclined Sally throwing her vocals in a Tracy Chapman-esque country sound, randomly mixed with Oshambo and Afro-Pop.
The African feel is proudly possessed in the album, one that will see her audience change from night clubs to cocktails and corporate dinners.
Track Six, Sweet Love, featuring Fistone from the Ndilimani Cultural Troupe, is a guitar and piano driven ballad accompanied by her mature voice. It carries empowering lyrics, which seems to be a popular theme of the album. It is one of those tracks that you find yourself humming to, even though you are listening to it for the first time. This song is simply appealing has to a wider audience because of its chorus that gets stuck in your psyche. This proves that effort can make an enormous difference to one’s work. You will love the video that comes with this song.
Many of the songs may be appealing to Sally’s mature audience, because the genre is not exactly youth-friendly even though it is impressively written.
Of course her traditional fast beat in The Bigger The Better, Kukutika and Shock Absorber, is unmistakable, as it will leave you wet from involuntary dancing.
Overall, the album is enjoyable and easy to relate to or flow with the messages the lyrics are conveying. Sally has that mature Adele voice, but with a golden African voice.
Kukutika, the fifth track of the set, is a fast-tempo song that has the popular sound of the album (guitar). It is going to get you moving with its rhythm, but the lyrics contain a little bit of cheese here and there, without being prevented by that, it is an OK track. Chess Chess, is a master gem because of its simplicity. Over-producing a song can get annoying and Chess Chess is anything but that. It incorporates what seems to be her favourite musical instrument – a guitar.
The album actually proves the opinions and serves as one of the most powerful albums of the year.