Voice Perfect Namibia, which aims to be a bridging gap for potential musicians to jump-start their careers, recently hosted a virtual show where they awarded talented medical student Paul William Shipanga as the overall winner of the finale of the first season.
The Okahandja-born Shipanga said he was happy to win as he comes from a musical background which includes playing the drums in church which later elevated to singing in the church choir and eventually becoming a solo vocalist.
Rapper Lioness who formed part of the judges alongside Chikune and Inna Goroh said Shipanga is showbiz that is making people believe that he has a star factor.
“I want to thank the amazing judges for guiding us, the positive and constructive words. For pushing us to bring forth our best and the supporters who brought us this far,” remarked Shipanga.
The young vocalist who scooped N$10 000 and a recording contract said music has always been a part of him. “Music has been a tremendous part of my life and it will continue to be so,” said Shipanga.
The founder of the show, Laurentius Haindaka, said they want to push and promote upcoming and youth artists as much as possible.
“We want to provide a platform for talents to showcase their gifts and help them kick-start their music careers and discover the path to that record deal,” he shared. This is an idea that came about during lockdown last year and he said there hasn’t been any date set yet for the second edition. “We are set for June but the exact date is not yet finalised – once it’s final we’ll release it to the public,” he informed.
The first season of the Voice Perfect Namibia singing competition reached its climax when they recorded more than 200 entries and eventually scaled it down during Episode 1: Auditions – 175 contestants, Episode 2: Local Smash – 100 contestants, Episode 3: Rap Rendition – 60 contestants, Episode 4: In-house Battles – 30 Contestants, Episode 5: Beats & Lyrics – 15 contestants and Episode 6: Battle of the Four. “Five contestants made it to this episode but one had to withdraw because of a personal problem,” he said.
– psiririka@nepc.com.na