Music industry pays tribute to Nally

Namibian Afrobeat artist Joseph Simson (33), popularly known as Nally, lost his life in a head-on collision on 1 November along the Okahao–Oshakati main road in the Omusati region.The crash, involving an SUV and a bakkie, claimed the lives of seven people, including six occupants of the bakkie and the SUV's driver.Joseph Ailonga, chairperson of the Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam), described the late artist as a promising talent who died just as his career was beginning to flourish.“It is so sad to have lost such a promising rising star. Nally was truly cementing his place in the Namibian music industry as an exceptional artist, but his life was tragically cut short,” he said.Ailonga said Nally’s work built on the foundation of established musicians while also weaving in his own Afrobeat identity.“Nally carried the torch forward so gracefully from us veterans in the industry, and his star was shining truly bright,” he said.He added that the artist uniquely 'Namibianised' his sound, with his song ‘Don't Do Me Like That’.The song reached 1.9 million YouTube views, while another track, ‘Untouchable’, also elevated Namibian music.Ailonga said Nascam would use the Namibian Annual Music Awards and its 2027 plans to honour members who died this year.Fond memories, unfinished projectsNamibian Afro-pop artist Julius Marco Hamwele, who performs as Page Ethnix, collaborated with Nally on ‘Sweet Melody’ and described their relationship as going beyond music.“Beyond just, you know, being industry mates, we developed like a genuine or true friendship that was built on respect,” he said.Page Ethnix said their shared plans for future music would unfortunately remain unfinished.“It's very painful to realise that tomorrow's collaborations have become memories of what could have been,” Hamwele said.Sikopo Simasiku, popularly known as King Zilla, also worked with Nally and Page Ethnix on ‘Sweet Melody’. He recalled meeting Nally through mutual friend Kati Cotton before they created the song at Andrew on the Beat's studio.“Nally brought only the purest of positive energy. Anyone who met and was around him can attest to that,” Simasiku said.King Zilla remembered Nally's humour during the music video shoot, describing how the artist confidently imitated S.I.S's verse but got the wording wrong.“He confidently got all the phonetics right but the entire wording wrong. Everyone went crazy over it. Funniest thing ever,” he said.A lasting contributionSinger-songwriter and visuals director Ndeshi Way said Nally brought authenticity to his music and continuously worked to improve his sound, visuals and storytelling.“He told his own stories through his music and wore his heart on his sleeve, giving people something real to connect with,” she said.Ndeshi Way said Nally was a hardworking civil engineer, devoted father and caring partner who pursued his dreams with determination.Gottrieb Nambahu, popularly known as Tien G, said Nally's contribution to the industry was already significant, despite being at the start of his career.“What made it so special was that he equally merged English with his vernacular in his music while still maintaining a high standard sonically and for the Afro-pop genre itself,” he said.“That not only was he a great artist and creative, he was a dedicated professional in his job, a great and present father, and an insightful thinker too. A humble guy who appreciated art and understood its importance. That's how I knew Nally,” Nambahu added.

Music industry pays tribute to Nally

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-06

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Music industry pays tribute to Nally

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Namibian Sun 2026-11-06

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