SWAKOPMUND– Internationally acclaimed Namibian-born singer/songwriter, Andra Cilliers or better known as ANDRA on stage, touched the hearts of audiences in Namibia over the past two weeks during her Namibian leg of her 18-day Southern Africa Summer Tour.
Delivering a rock solid live performance from town to town, she raised the roof in venues such as Windhoek, Gobabis, Swakopmund and Walvis Bay to mention some. Accompanied by two accomplished South African musicians, Brenda Burnit, Eben Groenewald, and long-trusted legendary sound engineer, Conrad Jamneck, Andra pulled out a spellbiding two hour repetoire that included some foot tapping ‘golden oldies’, and long time original favourites from her first two albums. Known for her captivating presence on stage, she blends soul binding lyrics, powerful acoustic guitar play, combined with her raw talent, gutsy vocals and uncompromising deliverance, which has catapulted her into the world of international music. She has gained respect as a musician of the highest calibre amongst some of the biggest names in the industry.
Whilst local media were unfortunately not granted an interview with the musician during her whirlwind visit to the coast due to her “demanding schedule”, it was established that she is working on recording her third album, which is scheduled to be released next year. Her 18-day “Summer ‘14 Tour” kicked off in Pretoria on November 7, after which she headed off to Botswana and her home country Namibia with her last gig held in Mariental on Tuesday, before finishing up in Cape Town.
Andra is a proud product of Swakopmund. In 2007 she took her life savings, packed her guitar and percolator and moved to South Africa. Once in Pretoria, she met producer Ludwig Bouwer. Four months later, Andra’s debut album, the acclaimed Secrets and Skeletons… Notes from a Desert Cafe was released, an album drawing immense attention from around the country and the world. The album consists of 12 tracks, all written and composed by Andra.
Since then she has independently recorded two solo albums, extensively toured South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. She has also gigged at all the major SA festivals like Oppikoppi, Up the Creek, White Mountain Folk Festival and STRAB in Mozambique. Most recently Andra received a Standard Bank Ovation Award for her performances at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown 2014. Whilst she has been compared to artists like Janis Joplin, Marianne Faithful and Alanis Morriset , most of all she is just Andra – wearing her trademark hat, casual jeans, takkies and guitar in hand – this girl is what she is – a force to be reconed with. And her hometown Swakopmund where the desert meets the Atlantic Ocean, is where her heart will always be. “My favourite place is any space with enough room for me and my guitar, ” she was quoted as saying.
By Donna Collins