In what could be described as a first-ever event that brings together two cultures for a night of musical excellence, the Ma/gaisa meets Oviritje show is just that. 

 It celebrates the country’s own genres.

Local organiser Sendelly !Gonteb and team have upped their game this year in fusing two of the most culturally-rooted music genres in the country, with both having distinct beats and dance moves.  

“So, we decided, why not bring them together for the first time ever in the musical events scene. This is a concept we have been working on for over the past two years, so it has taken a lot of planning and logistical intelligence to get into full swing,” he said.

Last year, the team hosted the Rumble in the City as the Ma/Gaisa Rumble at the Coast, which proved to be a big success with revellers. 

This time around, they have included a different twist to broaden their fan base.  

“We have included the Katutura Soccer Derby, which has been included in the build-up event between Orlando Pirates Legends and African Stars Legends. It is also an opportunity for the old crocks to put on their golden boots and give the audience a taste of football brilliance. It also gives the legends a platform to engage with one another after retirement,” !Gonteb said.

“We have realised that most events focus on headlining their events with artists and DJs from outside our borders, so we felt the time would be beneficial to showcase our artists and show that local acts are more than enough to fill up a stadium. We need to put our local artists first,” he noted.

“The early bird, phase one, and VIP tickets have been sold when they were made available, Momentum is surely picking up for next weekend. Early bird was sold out in the space of three days and phase one tickets were sold out within a month. This is a huge response from the public and fills all of us with a lot of excitement,” he added.

!Gonteb feels that there has been an appetite now for strictly local acts to headline their own shows, as fans have been more appreciative of it compared to when events could only be filled by a foreign musician.  “We feel it is safe to say that we are slowly picking up momentum again. More local artists are in and out of studios, currently working on new material, so it’s our job as organisers to give them the platform to showcase it in front of their fans,” he said.

“With this type of event taking place for the first time ever, we had to start it here in the capital. This is a huge response from the public and fills all of us with a lot of excitement. Get your phase two tickets now, get your dancing shoes on, and get your traditional attire ready. This one is going to go down in history,” he said.

-slunyangwe@nepc.com.na