Julina Kaakunga
Lazarus Mvula, known by his stage name ‘Lazzathehitmaker’ or simply ‘Lazza,’ has been a prominent figure on the music scene for four years, and he’s back with his highly- anticipated fifth studio album titled ‘Simaneka,’ released in the first week of the year.
Building anticipation for the album, Mvula previously dropped the lead single ‘Simaneka,’ featuring one of Namibia’s renowned vocalists, Teqla. The album’s title, ‘Simaneka,’ translates to ‘respect’ in the Oshiwambo language, drawing inspiration from the universal desire for recognition and respect.
In a recent interview, Lazza shed light on the concept behind the title track. He said ‘Simaneka’ delves into the dynamics of romantic relationships, emphasising the imbalance where one person often invests more love, and the other may take advantage of that affection. The underlying message is a plea for respect—respect for love, emotions and feelings. “So, I am basically saying respect my love, my emotions, my feelings; they are not a weakness” he noted.
Alongside, he dropped ‘Only’ and ‘Ondahalika’, on which track he featured Exit and Buju Katjoko.
Mvula said he has been working with Teqla on almost all of his albums, except the joint album he did with Miss Rose. Overall, the experience of featuring other artists on his albums has been phenomenal. “I like working with Teqla, she’s a great artist. She knows her thing, and she got a great voice; everybody loves it. As for Exit, he is like my neighbour, so it was easy working with him, and he’s a cool guy. Buju Katjoko happened to be present when recording, so it was easy for him to jump on the song too”. ‘Ondahalika’ is originally supposed to be ‘Ndahalika’, meaning wanted.”
“In the sense of the song, I’m just saying that I was planned when I was born. Somebody wanted me to be here on this earth; I was not a mistake. That’s why you see ‘Simaneka’ first, then ‘Ondahalika’ meaning respect me, because I was planned,” he continued.
In terms of CD sales, Mvula has so far been making progress. “I don’t want to mention numbers, but the album has been doing well. We just ordered the second stock badge from SA”. The idea that CDs are no longer selling is a misconception, as people do not do proper research. “There are people who like to have the original and not just something that is compressed when you put it on iTunes. Yes, the sales may have reduced, but it helps,” he stated.
Comparing this to his first-ever album titled ‘One and Only’, Mvula believes he has grown exceptionally. “I am now able to incorporate other genres, because before I was doing more R&B songs. But if you listen to my work now, you’ll realis, that there is kwaito and hip-hop here and there, and other genres as well”.
He revealed that part two of the ‘Simaneka’ album is already in the works, a testament to the abundance of creative energy and musical content he wishes to share with his fans. Lazza then urged everyone to continue supporting local music, emphasising its role in elevating Namibia’s representation on the global stage. The impact of local support extends beyond borders, contributing to the recognition and appreciation of Namibian artists internationally.
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