Albums of the year
This was the year Namibian music truly produced volumes of work like never before. Here are some of the best cuts from a momentous 12 months.
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
WINDHOEK
Grey – Waters
One of the artists who worked the hardest this year, Waters released an EP and an album. Besides his unquestionable talent, what contributed to this body of work standing out was the rollout plan. He had private listening sessions with key industry people who endorsed the album before it came out. Because he was one of the artists frequently booked this year, this gave him a chance to perform songs from the album as well, and Namibia responded positively.
Messiah – Gazza
Gazza once again changed the way music is commercially released in Namibia with his 2021 album ‘Messiah’. Partnering with KFC Namibia for the rollout of the album, he gave us something that has never been done before.
The highly anticipated offering is packed with 16 songs and boasts features from Blacksheep, Lioness, SheCantGo, Nurangere and more. In a music climate dominated by amapiano, it’s commendable that he chose to be different and not ride that wave.
Ghetto Love – TopCheri and Manxebe
TopCheri and Manxebe are frequent collaborators so it came as no surprise that the two decided to record a joint album. The project spawned the hit songs ‘Ethandje’, ‘Komesho’ and ‘Happy’. It’s also worth noting that the collaborative project was released under PAC Music and Vuma Music, imprints owned by TopCheri and Manxebe respectively.
Die Hele Box – Exit and Samuele Ngodji
In an industry filled with egos, it was refreshing to see that Namibians embraced the spirit of working together, and joint albums were a phenomenon. Veteran kwaito artists Exit and Samuele Ngodji partnered up once again to demonstrate that we are stronger together. The album trended online and it was one of the top selling offerings of the year.
Katutura’s Favourite Son – Cassidy Karon
For his second solo album, Cassidy Karon aimed for his usual thought-provoking impact and continued to embrace his beloved Katutura. In 2021, it’s hard to pinpoint another hip-hop album in Namibia that has managed to make people of Katutura be proud of where they are from like Karon managed with this album. Not limiting his sound to hip-hop, the project is heavily influenced by kwaito, an element critics attribute to the album’s relatability.
WINDHOEK
Grey – Waters
One of the artists who worked the hardest this year, Waters released an EP and an album. Besides his unquestionable talent, what contributed to this body of work standing out was the rollout plan. He had private listening sessions with key industry people who endorsed the album before it came out. Because he was one of the artists frequently booked this year, this gave him a chance to perform songs from the album as well, and Namibia responded positively.
Messiah – Gazza
Gazza once again changed the way music is commercially released in Namibia with his 2021 album ‘Messiah’. Partnering with KFC Namibia for the rollout of the album, he gave us something that has never been done before.
The highly anticipated offering is packed with 16 songs and boasts features from Blacksheep, Lioness, SheCantGo, Nurangere and more. In a music climate dominated by amapiano, it’s commendable that he chose to be different and not ride that wave.
Ghetto Love – TopCheri and Manxebe
TopCheri and Manxebe are frequent collaborators so it came as no surprise that the two decided to record a joint album. The project spawned the hit songs ‘Ethandje’, ‘Komesho’ and ‘Happy’. It’s also worth noting that the collaborative project was released under PAC Music and Vuma Music, imprints owned by TopCheri and Manxebe respectively.
Die Hele Box – Exit and Samuele Ngodji
In an industry filled with egos, it was refreshing to see that Namibians embraced the spirit of working together, and joint albums were a phenomenon. Veteran kwaito artists Exit and Samuele Ngodji partnered up once again to demonstrate that we are stronger together. The album trended online and it was one of the top selling offerings of the year.
Katutura’s Favourite Son – Cassidy Karon
For his second solo album, Cassidy Karon aimed for his usual thought-provoking impact and continued to embrace his beloved Katutura. In 2021, it’s hard to pinpoint another hip-hop album in Namibia that has managed to make people of Katutura be proud of where they are from like Karon managed with this album. Not limiting his sound to hip-hop, the project is heavily influenced by kwaito, an element critics attribute to the album’s relatability.
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