Kae MaÞunÿu-Tjiparuro
WINDHOEK – One has been hailed as the new rose on the block as far as Afro soul and RnB is concerned and the other can be described as the undiscovered jewel of instrumental music in the country.
They are Miss Rose and Anna the Flutist, both part- time musicians as may be many other if not most local musicians because the local music industry has as yet to prove lucrative and a thus full-time occupation. Both Miss Rose and Anna the Flutist proved their metal and the hidden but quickly mushrooming talents in them when from the Jazz Stage serenaded the audience on World Music Day on Saturday at the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC).
The event, celebrated annually on June 26, and which Namibia has been a part of since 1995, with its 23rd edition this year, started on Friday to culminate in an all-day affair on Saturday. Like all the years Windhoekers were spoilt for choice musically with an array of music from four different stages, the Dance, Jazz, Legends and Rhythm delivered to the audiences at the same time.
First encounter upon entering the venue Saturday afternoon just after one o’clock was with Raslando and the Internationals and Papa Sukali and the Volcano Vibe, with respect to rumba or kwasa kwasa genres. Erma Chimu and Ngatu also ranked high on the list of artists at the Rhythm Stage which made it a who’s who of the local music industry. Not to mention the likes of Lize Ehlers, Berthodlt, Savannah Collins and Marius of Song Night fame on the Jazz Stage.
After delivering three sedative instrumental tunes, ranging from jazz, mbanqanqa and soul, encompassing Sipho Gumede’s A strange place, the soothing jive tune titled the Nama stap dance and the soulful Celine Dion rendition of When I need you, flutist Anna warmed the stage with more soulful escapades with Marius. Delivering his own compositions like All of me, Dear Mama and Nakupenda to round it off with a medley of various African and international artists, and homely, one of all times hits by Gazza, Seelima, released in 2011.
Not barred and moved by the exploits of Anna the Flutist and Marius, who had the audience up and raving, entered Miss Rose, the new rose on the block. From only two renditions she rendered, surely she needs more that this accolade because Miss Rose for sure is here to conquer the local if not global musical world. Adorned in a gold/yellow and green head garb matched by yellow/gold beads and black T-shirt, a denim jacket and long blue and purple zigzagged dress, she gave the audience her original Bring back my love, inviting the audience in joining her in her plea for the return of her love, and in no time the crowd had joined in singing love.
She staged off with a cover version of Mafikizolo’s Emlanjeni, which she confessed to have made it her own. And indeed there was a great measure of her own in the song with words such as ‘ondikuhole’. Backing her was Isack.
The Legends stage was graced by Emily Dangwa, Raslando and the Internationalz, Tapz, H, Lize Ehlers and Jackson Wahengo.