Folk music of Namibia

The Namibian traditional dance occurs at occasions such as traditional festival and weddings like the Caprivi art festival. The folk music of Namibia accompanies with storytelling and dancing. The Namaqu use different flutes, strings and drums while the Bantu uses xylophones, gourds and horn trumpets.

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·         The Herero people’s oviritje are well-known as konsert and Otijiherero is the main language of Oviritje music. Oviritje was made renowned by Willa ya Hakane (The Wild Dogs) who is from the Okakarara region with their main song Kaondeka (a praise song of Waterberg mountains): other of the musicians include Okazera who is from Omahele area, it is the first group to include San-speaking member known as Bullet ya Kaoko who based in Opuwo in the Kunene area, Millennium, Kareke, Tuponda, Katja and the united Kingdom based oviritje queen known as Kakazona ua Kavari.

·         Ma/gaisa is a renowned dance music genre popularly known as Damara Punch, which has a name of household like Stanley, Phura and Raphel and Pele (Marurus di/ Gereseb) all have Welwitchia music production, Swakopmund, Axue and Om Backos. This genre originated from Damara traditional music and it is mainly sung in Khoekhoegowab or Nama/Damara. Castro who is an Oshiwambo native speaker is one of the few non Damara singers.

·         Shambo is the traditional dance music of the Oshiwambo speaking tribes and its name was gotten from Shambo Shakambode music. During the late 90s, Yoba Valombola combined the existing Oshiwambo music largely was popularized by a folk guitarist Kwela, Kangwe Keenyala, Boetie Simon, Lexington and Meme Nanghii na Shima. Later on Setson and Mighty Dread Bnad blended these and other Naimbia styles and this gave birth to Shambo shakambode music. Themes comprise love to war and history. The upcoming Namibia artists sponsored sampled tracks backed by mixture of house music and Kwaito. Popular shambo artists include Tate Kwela, D-Naff and Tunakie and Kwiku who is a gospel musician blends shambo with Kwassa kwassa. Tate Buti and his sister Janice with Faizel MC made this genre renowned with a song titled Kwiku. It is listened by most of the Namibians which include Coloureds and Basters. Namibia Society of Composers and Authors of Music (NACAM) recognized this in 2005 as one the Namibian’s folk music genres. And also the annual Sanlam-NBC Music awards include it as one of their awarding genres in the year 2005. Tunakie, Faizel MC, Castro, trio PDK, Kila B and Olavi were other kwiku musicians and later on YT de Wet appear.

·         Hikwa or hip hop/kwaito was the genre built by Sunny Boy. According to him, hikwa is a mixture of kwaito and hip hop. Another lyrical musician recognized the genre with his album Young Black en Gifted, which hold his rhythmical rapping with slow tempo kwaito sounds. Most of the kwaito songs are described by chant, rhythmic-screaming, singing, repetitive verse and chorus. The songs of Sunny Boy structured by an identified chorus and separate verses that is similar to hip pop. The beats have a slower tempo than kwaito but it is faster than the hip hop. Another musician who uses the similar pattern of music includes Tre VDK and OmPuff that is from Sunny Boy’s former label.