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Zoo Park Beckons This Weekend

2006-04-28  Staff Report 2

Zoo Park Beckons This Weekend
"By Confidence Musariri WINDHOEK In a rare mixture of Onyako, Kwaito and Rhumba, Windhoek revelers are in for a long weekend treat starting today. Namibia's award winning Onyaka songstress, Tunakie launches an eight-track album, Ombwila, this weekend at the Zoo Park in Windhoek in what promises to be a long weekend of festivities as Rhumba giants 4X4 launch their latest offering tonight at the same venue. The same venue successfully wooed a 4 000 audience last December when Kwaito sensation Gaza launched his recent album. ""I have done enough to have a full-house,"" said Tunakie. Various supporting acts such as energetic Killa B of Eliko fame, Mighty Dreads, DJ Mufaro and trademark rumba group 4X4 will spice up Tunakie's night by playing twice at the same venue this weekend. ""All these artists are crowd pullers in their own right,"" she adds. The two-time winner of the Sanlam/NBC Best Traditional Artist Awards believes Ombwila (Oshiwambo name for mini-skirt) will topple the fame of her last dish, Ekalanyana. ""The title track and Ila wu tale will explode the local market, just wait till I sample it on the 29th,"" promises the 24-year-old musician. According to her manager Mike Nesongano, tickets have been fast disappearing from their selling stations. ""We are very fortunate that a CCTV crew that is touring the country will cover the show for us and that will take Tunakie's music beyond our borders. Ombwila, unlike past Tunakie releases, will be performed by a live band, Arise Africa, a grouping of session artists in Namibia. A total of 2 000 CDs are expected to go on sale at the Zoo Park and Tunakie has assured her Ongwediva home fans that another launch will be held in the North later next month, coinciding with the Ongwediva Trade Fair. 4X4, dubbed ""Too Much Power"" are also promising fireworks at Zoo Park tonight. The Rumba outfit is on song, their first album ""Correction"", released in December 2003, introduced a different style of Rumba in Namibia. ""Correction"" had a genre-crossing sound package packed with synthpop, Hip-hop and Kizomba influences. The band has since struck good relations with Namibia's main campuses, Unam and the Polytechnic of Namibia and band leader Sergio hopes the new album, ""Enough is Enough"" will take them to dizzy heights. This second album is accompanied by the catch phrase ""Kaapana from Single Quarters"". The band tips the title track to be the talk of the streets soon. ""Everybody likes our style because it's unique"", boasts Sergio, adding that Kizomba beat in the new album is a desired ingredient to a good product. Besides, the title track and a hoard of Rumba style, track 4 ""Mrs Shikongo"", might make an impact not only on the Namibian market but also even in Angola. The song is done in Oshiwambo but has a Portuguese flavour. ""I wrote it after what she has done to us and a lot of other refugees. She is the best lady I have ever come across in this country and she has done much for us,"" Sergio emotionally says of Sara, wife to the Windhoek Mayor. The song was originally written in French and had to be translated into Oshiwambo. It will be the first time that 4X4 will exhibit their newly found female dancers. Being a male band for the last six years, the group spiced its Ndombolo antics with acrobatic dances and the bandleader says the women will make it more exciting for revellers tonight. The five female dancers came from seasoned group Ndilimani on a move that saw the Oshiwambo group downsize its dancers to five as well. After the launch of ""Enough is Enough"" tonight, 4X4 will perform alongside Tunakie and kwaito sensation Killa B at the same venue tomorrow. ""People must be prepared to swerve to our new dance, 'Keba Bokobetamo' (which means, Be Careful!)"", says band animator Mulumba Mwamba Marcel. As part of their high sense of creativity on stage, 4X4 have adopted a typical guerrilla stage wear, which depicts the reason for their being in Namibia."
2006-04-28  Staff Report 2

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