Aletta Shikololo
WINDHOEK – Namibian vocal and a cappella sensation, Vocal Motion 6 (VM6), will be hosting the first a capella music festival in Windhoek on 31 August this year.
A capella music is specifically group or solo singing without instrumental accompaniment, which originated in Italy.
In partnership with Standard Bank Namibia, the group of five singers will be hosting the festival in aid of the Standard Bank Buy-a-Brick initiative. As custodians of the buy-a-brick initiative, Standard Bank, together with VM6, will be raising funds to address the housing needs of low-income communities living in informal settlements.
Speaking at the launch of ‘Buy-a-Brick A Capella Music Festival, VM6 member and a cappella coordinator, Vasco Mario, said it is a privilege to host such an exciting festival not only to promote Namibian a capella singers but also to help the low-income earners with affordable houses.
“We are proud to contribute to this noble initiative. A house is not a home, according to the dictionary, a house is just a physical structure while a home is a place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household, where one makes memories last a lifetime,” Mario said.
Mario requests the nation to attend the festival in big numbers to help support the good cause that will give many a home to call their own.
He added: “Brick by brick we go, layering, one brick at time”.
VM6 has been in the music industry for two decades and they been invited to successful international music festivals such as Russia A Cappella Musical Festival in Moscow.
The group believes that instead of always travelling to international countries and investing money in other countries, it is great if they do the same thing for their country.
Speaking at the same event, Marketing Manager of Standard Bank, Sindano Nekundi,
said “We know by now that there are more than half a million of our people that live in shacks or other informal structures and are thus in need of proper housing. Government alone cannot address the housing needs and that’s where the citizens have to play a complementary role to the government,” Nekundi said.
He further commented that the A cappella Music Festival and other initiatives around buy-a-brick, afford Namibians a chance to address one of the biggest social challenges in the country.
According to Nekundi, all the proceeds from the A Cappella Musical Festival would go to the Shack Dwellers Federation of Namibia, which is responsible for assisting communities in building houses.
Two days before the festival, VM6 and the crew will be holding workshops at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN), as VM6’s community social responsibility.
They urged all the a cappella and gospel lovers to make their way to Windhoek High School sports field on 31 August.
New Era Reporter
2019-08-16 09:29:12 | 10 months ago
