2017-09-22Staff Report 2 John Muyamba Rundu-Rapper M-Gee has not only emerged with the potential to compete in the local music industry, but he now also enjoys massive airplay on Trace Africa with the video for his latest single ‘Vanapirura Kulirapa’. Sampled from a traditional song that natives of the two Kavango regions used to perform and sing to during cultural dances, the artists has turned what was essentially a traditional song it into a hip hop tune fused with some traditional Kavango cultural flavour and dance into the video. He himself hails from the Kavango regions, and he has made ‘Vanapirura Kulirapa’ one of the biggest videos to emerge from this hinterland. Desert Films in Windhoek shot the video in May and introduced it at the All Seasons Restaurant here on 16 June. ‘Vanapirura Kulirapa’, which is Rumanyo, a language spoken by Kavangos in the Kavango East region, roughly translates into “they have suddenly changed their minds, or they suddenly changed their way of doing things”. In this case M-Gee has made a sudden change in direction and developed a new strategy for taking over the music game. The message to other artists is that the eagle has landed and they must pack up and leave because they have come all the way from Rundu to conquer the musical scene. Rundu’s finest hip hop and Afro-pop band - Mighty Ill Game (MIG) features in M-Gees latest single. “As an artist I want to see myself to greater heights, I am so ambitious and I have been pushing. “I am aiming for a level above where I am, so like now with my current single ‘Vanapirura Kulirapa’, it’s gone out hard on all levels and it’s playing on Trace Africa and that’s good, but I am aiming to reach Trace Africa with more quality videos as many times as I can,” M-Gee says with determination. His music never moves an inch from his traditional roots because with every song he works on he does not forget the input of traditional dancers such as Chuwee – also a big influence on his latest offering, ‘Vanapirura Kulirapa’. “I featured MIG in this song because from the beginning, before getting the beat, I asked them if we can do a song together and that is how the guys made me the beat and then I dropped the hook. They came to play and we cooked a dope track. They are good guys; they really do rap nice so it was a great combo,” M-Gee adds. M-gee started in music in 2009 and dropped his first album in 2011, managing to do only one video from that album. After a school hiatus he returned with his second album from which he did a video, ‘Udano wompo’. Now he is working on his third album. “I feel it’s one way to express myself. Through music I talk, I express whatever I’m going through; what I feel and it’s something that I love. I feel I can’t stop doing music. [It is] embedded in my veins. “I feel relieved after recording. I’m planning to do more videos to expose my music to Africa and worldwide,” he says about his inspiration for creating music. He winds up with a promise to his fans that big times are in store for them as he is working “on the greatest album; it’s blazing, and if all goes according to plan I will drop it this November”. 2017-09-22Staff Report 2
