13 albums, 38 years later

Ndilimani's album 'Gratitude', which was supposed to be released tomorrow had to be put out into public three days early due to popular demand. A total of 1 500 copies were made for the album and on the first day alone, over 150 copies were bought countrywide. “We really tried to hold on but people came to the offices and demanded that we release earlier. It's selling like hot cakes. Our phones are ringing off the hook. People from as far as Outapi want the album and the love is really overwhelming,” said Jessy Nombanza, who also doubles as operations manager for the cultural troupe. The band members say that 'Gratitude' is purely a revolutionary album compared to the previous albums that were marketed as commercial works. On 'Gratitude', fans can expect songs on leaders such as Sam Nujoma as Nombanza says it's important for one to know where they come from. “We started in 1980 and we just want to remind people where we come from with this album. If we neglect our history our kids will never know who we are or where we are going. We also know that our fight for independence is over and we are fighting a different war now, but everything works together and we can't separate the two,” Nombanza said.The Ndilimani Cultural Troupe managed to rope in local acts on the album including Sally Boss Madam and Miss Rose Shikulo to add a softer touch to the product. The artists say they manage to remain relevant by being inclusive and capturing the attention of all age groups and audiences. “We make sure our songs are for everyone. Change is not easy and we have tried to switch genres but the elders were not happy. They thought we had lost focus. So we are in between finding a balance to keep both young and old happy,” said Castro, another group member. The group is hopeful in switching up things and they plan on working on an international house album. “We also plan on remaking our old songs and will feature local artists. We also are aware that we don't have a lot of visuals for our work and we want to work on that.”The group will announce a launch date in due course. The ten-track album is available for N$130 countrywide. June Shimuoshili

13 albums, 38 years later

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-06-27

Please login to leave a comment

13 albums, 38 years later

Comments

Namibian Sun 2025-06-27

Please login to leave a comment

Login