By Emma Kakololo
Album: Paantu
Song: Oudano
Artists: PDK
WINDHOEK – For me the chorus is what makes a song. It is actually the climax of a song. I know most of you would definitely agree with me on this one, especially if you grew up in Katutura.
Remember, was it not a few years ago when our airwaves, national television and music shops were flooded with foreign music, not to even mention from South Africa? And did we understand some of the words despite dancing to the tunes? I don’t think so?
And yet when any of the late Brenda Fassie’s song played – Vulin’dlela, Nomakanjani or Umuntu Ngumuntu Ngabantu – there was this sudden urge to want to wait until a certain memorable part of the song (whether you are a child, parent or magogo) to shake-shake your booty and show your best moves on the dance floor.
That part of the song was, of course, the chorus. In the chorus the words were easy to remember (despite being in a foreign language) and sing along.
However nowadays, with a sudden change on our music scene, dominated by Namibian upcoming young artists, it is not only the chorus that matters, but also the message embodied in the song.
And when my colleague Freddy Philander dropped the newly released album, Paantu, by PDK on my table recently to review their song Oudano, I told myself no big deal. I just know where to start, not that I should feel guilty because after all a review is just an opinion.
I am also sure those who have listened to Oudano before would agree that the chorus crescendos really summarise the song and even the message on the album cover: “Our music is for everybody. The blinds-we catch them with the message … Like John Walenga always tells us, anything your parent cannot sing along, don’t touch.”
If anything, the song is indeed what parents would love to preach to their children. It is a gentle reminder to all not to take life for granted and become victims of diseases, greed, materialism, anger, hatred and jealousy. The chorus is really powerful, it urges you dance all the time and it sounds so good in Oshiwambo.
I should admit, a couple of years ago I thought a kwaito song would be impossible to sing in Oshiwambo or even Damara/Nama, Otjiherero, Lozi, Tswana and many other Namibian languages.
Again, this song is a lovely song, a short story lost in a masterful album of stories, but definitely worth listening to over and over again.