A Promise fulfilled
We know and love her from her songs Dogo Dogo, Tanauka and more recently, Choose Day. Songstress Promise shares with tjil what makes her unique and how she runs her own league.
“I am not your average artist and I don't plan on being one.”
These are the words Promise used when asked to describe herself and career plans.
This is clearly visible as her boundary-breaking work can attest to the statement. Promise, who is not new to the music scene, had taken a year off to focus on herself and she is now ready to deliver nothing but genre-defying music for the rest of the year, and after that.
“I was going through some personal matters that I had to deal with but that is all in the past. It's amazing how one can be off-scene for that long yet fans remain loyal and true by requesting for my work on air and still downloading it.
I am ready to be what my fans need me to be,” she said. This week, she bares it all to tjil… on how she got into the industry, why she dares to be different and what her future holds.
Where it all began…
It all started when she ended up at the Omalaeti Productions studio when the producers saw her talent. In 2013 she was discovered by producer Solani Glo who had her record her first mainstream song featuring PDK on the Are You Single remix and she never looked back. “I started taking it kinda seriously. The funny thing is I fancied myself an entrepreneur or businesswoman, never a musician. Oddly enough I don't see myself as anything than who I am now,” she said.
Her first album was released in 2014 titled Lioness where her hit songs Tanauka and Komangoma are featured.
Her take on culture…
Promise is a one-of-a-kind artist and so is her music. She says it all comes from her upbringing and many will be taken aback by the fact that she grew up in the city. She says she wanted to rope that into her career and that's why she is an Afro-pop artist today who is a worldwide product.
Promise says she considers herself as a Namibian artist and her songs Tanauka in Oshiwambo and Komangoma in Subia are examples of how marketable local music is.
All Promise wants, is to teach her fans the importance of culture and getting out of their comfort zones by being open to other peoples' traditions.
“I am one who respects culture to the core, I was raised that way. I was taught not to forget my heritage. I have realised that the rest of the world wants to see what we as Africans can offer and they want African products.
I wouldn't mind singing in Damara or Rukwankagli because an artist is one who challenges him- or herself and that is me,” she said.
The importance of visuals…
One thing Promise is known for is her great sense of visuals and knowing the critical role they play to her career. She says video bonds artists, as well as connecting a listener or an audience.
In many ways, they are an important medium for contemporary pop culture and technology. Although she was taking some time off, the singer remained committed and dedicated to her work as she recently dropped her new hit Choose Day.
Promise says she likes working with new people, from video directors to actors, makeup artists and stylists, to boost their music and for their talent to be noticed.
“It was important for me to shoot my first single's music video because I needed my fans to know who I was. Many thought I was Oshiwambo-speaking since the song was in Oshiwambo whilst others thought I was Nigerian.
It was simply to say this is Promise who sang Tanauka. Music videos bond artists to their fans and I like taking my time to respect them by making sure the visuals and storylines correspond,” she said.
Sophomore album…
Promise will be releasing her second album this year but before she does that she has exciting projects featuring local and international artists.
She says she will not be missing in action again and ensures her fans that the album will be a wow factor. She says she is not one to release to meet award deadlines but rather take Namibia to the rest of the world.
“People must know that there is a county called Namibia and from that country there is an artist called Promise. If I get myself there, it will be an achievement that we will all proud of.
For now I will be dropping a single with KP Illest and it is dope. It will be dropped with a music video and you will not be ready.
Thank you for being patient with me and for supporting my career,” she said. *All photographs by Eric Mule.
June Shimuoshili
These are the words Promise used when asked to describe herself and career plans.
This is clearly visible as her boundary-breaking work can attest to the statement. Promise, who is not new to the music scene, had taken a year off to focus on herself and she is now ready to deliver nothing but genre-defying music for the rest of the year, and after that.
“I was going through some personal matters that I had to deal with but that is all in the past. It's amazing how one can be off-scene for that long yet fans remain loyal and true by requesting for my work on air and still downloading it.
I am ready to be what my fans need me to be,” she said. This week, she bares it all to tjil… on how she got into the industry, why she dares to be different and what her future holds.
Where it all began…
It all started when she ended up at the Omalaeti Productions studio when the producers saw her talent. In 2013 she was discovered by producer Solani Glo who had her record her first mainstream song featuring PDK on the Are You Single remix and she never looked back. “I started taking it kinda seriously. The funny thing is I fancied myself an entrepreneur or businesswoman, never a musician. Oddly enough I don't see myself as anything than who I am now,” she said.
Her first album was released in 2014 titled Lioness where her hit songs Tanauka and Komangoma are featured.
Her take on culture…
Promise is a one-of-a-kind artist and so is her music. She says it all comes from her upbringing and many will be taken aback by the fact that she grew up in the city. She says she wanted to rope that into her career and that's why she is an Afro-pop artist today who is a worldwide product.
Promise says she considers herself as a Namibian artist and her songs Tanauka in Oshiwambo and Komangoma in Subia are examples of how marketable local music is.
All Promise wants, is to teach her fans the importance of culture and getting out of their comfort zones by being open to other peoples' traditions.
“I am one who respects culture to the core, I was raised that way. I was taught not to forget my heritage. I have realised that the rest of the world wants to see what we as Africans can offer and they want African products.
I wouldn't mind singing in Damara or Rukwankagli because an artist is one who challenges him- or herself and that is me,” she said.
The importance of visuals…
One thing Promise is known for is her great sense of visuals and knowing the critical role they play to her career. She says video bonds artists, as well as connecting a listener or an audience.
In many ways, they are an important medium for contemporary pop culture and technology. Although she was taking some time off, the singer remained committed and dedicated to her work as she recently dropped her new hit Choose Day.
Promise says she likes working with new people, from video directors to actors, makeup artists and stylists, to boost their music and for their talent to be noticed.
“It was important for me to shoot my first single's music video because I needed my fans to know who I was. Many thought I was Oshiwambo-speaking since the song was in Oshiwambo whilst others thought I was Nigerian.
It was simply to say this is Promise who sang Tanauka. Music videos bond artists to their fans and I like taking my time to respect them by making sure the visuals and storylines correspond,” she said.
Sophomore album…
Promise will be releasing her second album this year but before she does that she has exciting projects featuring local and international artists.
She says she will not be missing in action again and ensures her fans that the album will be a wow factor. She says she is not one to release to meet award deadlines but rather take Namibia to the rest of the world.
“People must know that there is a county called Namibia and from that country there is an artist called Promise. If I get myself there, it will be an achievement that we will all proud of.
For now I will be dropping a single with KP Illest and it is dope. It will be dropped with a music video and you will not be ready.
Thank you for being patient with me and for supporting my career,” she said. *All photographs by Eric Mule.
June Shimuoshili
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