WINDHOEK-Having been in the arts and music scene for the past 23 years, multi-talented Ndasuudje “Papa” Shikongeni, who refers to himself as an Post Independence artist, says he has gained discipline and responsibility thus contributing to both national and international arts industry.
Hence his recognition, nationally and internationally as an artist, as well as a storyteller, spiritual believer, musician and leader in Namibia’s post-independence arts education and culture. He says ever since he was tenderly young, he has always been interested in the arts but could not explore his talents. Then (before independence), black people were not allowed by whites to engage in arts. His real talents came to the fore in 1993 when he met and worked with his mentor, Joseph Madisia, a prominent African artist in Namibia, who nurtured his art skills and gave him room to develop his own techniques in printmaking.
Papa exhibited his first solo exhibition titled 26 August at the Standard Bank Arts Binnale Competition the same year. This exhibition was about an Omuherero woman dress up in red and black, an attire known in Otjiherero as Otjizerandu. Since then, Papa has been on a mission trying to prove himself. In his visual arts, Papa has worked extensively in wood and paper mache sculpture and pioneered novel techniques in printmaking by using cardboard, painting ink on paper and linoleum and as well innovated zips technique stretched on frame.
Since 1994, Papa has hosted 18 solo exhibitions. He has exhibited some of his artworks in Vienna, Austria; Stockholm, Sweden; Nairobi Kenya; St. Peters-burg, Russia; Senegal; London, United Kingdom (UK), Germany, Russia, United State of America (USA), Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Jamaica, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Austria, France and China, of course that is except in Namibia. Papa has received numerous awards for his work including from China and Russia. He has also contributed to no fewer than 45 around the world group exhibitions. He says his idea of artworks comes from the society, politicians and everyone around him. “But most of my artworks are based on tradition and culture,” he adds.
In 2007 he released a booklet and DVD documentary on Basketry and Pottery in North Central Namibia, showing how crafts are both “a link to the past” and “a bridge to the future”. And in the past year he has lectured in South Africa, Sweden, Finland and Namibia on Indigenous Knowledge Arts and Culture. This year Papa has produced the musical sound for the film, Paths to Freedom, a film about Namibian liberation directed by Richard Pakklepa.
Papa uses art to promote freedom of self-expression and individual spirituality and to highlight the importance of tradition and culture in economic and social development. Since 1994 he has variously taught in all 13 regions of Namibia, including at primary and secondary schools, colleges and community programmes. He has lectured at John Maufangejo Art Centre, Rundu College of Education, Ongwediva College of Education, and been a visual art facilitator for the National Art Extension Programme with the College of the Arts. From 2002-2009 Papa was Director of the John Muafangejo Art Centre, Namibia’s training ground for young artists in different disciplines. He continues to lecture at the College of the Arts.Papa won the first prize for the three dimensional sculpture at the Bank Windhoek Triennial Competition at the National Art Gallery of Namibia this year.
Regarding his music journey he says he started it way back in the 1980s by participating in school concerts. In 1998 he was a vocalist and dancer at Lisboa Expo 98 (Portugal) and he continues to co-ordinate Namibian cultural dance troupes. “As a musician I performed at the Russian Independence Day in St. Petersburg 1999, Shanghai World Expo in 2010 and with Ounongo Pamwe Band, in Namibia and on tour in Washington DC, Baltimore and New York City in the USA 2008. In 2012 he performed at the well-known Namibian international artist Ras Sheehama’s Zensor Bar. Currently he has produced up to four albums. The first album, Aantu Aantu, which means people are people, was released in 2007, followed by the next album, Aathigona in 2008 and Shili Mekunde in 2010. His new release was Dr. Abraham Iyambo, released last year. He was the winner of the Last Band Standing competition in 2013 . Papa performed in Belgrade, Serbia last year and had a farewell concert at the Warehouse Theatre last December. He is the second winner of the Last Band Standing Competition this year. He also performed live during liberation veteran, Andimba Toivo ya Toivo’s 90th Birthday celebrations at Independence Stadium last month.
At the moment, Papa is planing releasing two albums next year, a Reggae and Traditional one. “I decided to put Reggae in English to cater for everyone. The tratidional album will be titled Toshendjelekendje and will contain eleven songs while the Reggae one will be named Transformation and will contain ten songs.