Carlos Kambaekwa

WINDHOEK - Namibia’s leading songbird and astute songwriter Erna Chimu has unleashed a bomb of a new CD to her already rich music collection. The new album, titled ‘Uprising’, was released last year and it is a compilation of traditional jazz and township mbaqanga, with a flavour of the Damara punch beat.
Namibia’s multitalented veteran sports guru Carlos “CK” Kambaekwa, also a noted musician and leader of the Sigera Fusion Jazz band, takes you through his observation about the new CD.
The dominant view is that Erna Chimu is up there with the finest female jazz musos on the African continent and can easily be talked in the same breath of established jazz divas like Sibongile Khumalo, Tu Nokwe and Gloria Bosman – to name but a few.
Listening attentively to the velvet voice of Erna is like a visit to Sun City. The songbird has everything required at the highest level of music entertainment – style and command, while her music is way ahead of times. At times, I wonder what the Namibian music landscape would have been had Erna Chimu not been born.
Coming back to her new CD, Uprising, she certainly rose to the challenge with breath-taking foot-stomping tunes that would send shivers running riot in the bellies of music lovers across the spheres.
The signature track, ‘Uprising’, at number four is a clear indication of Erna’s unmatched musical talent.
The harmonies and Sammy Batola’s guitar work are something out of the ordinary, while track number six, the rearranged ‘Aise Mamase’, ushered by Samuel Kitenge on narration, is a traditional Damara song, which takes one way down memory lane to the old location when little young girls entertained themselves on the streets in songs.
Erna teamed up with hip hop star Jericho on track number 10, titled ‘Leave’, a song about broken relationships; the duo is certainly going to town with this wonderful song.
 The 12-track CD is a must-have collection for every patriotic Namibian who loves and values local music.

Chimu – On the up… Namibian songbird Erna Chimu