Fame, drugs and hallelujah
After hitting rock bottom, Namibia's queen of Afro-fusion Patricia Ochurus is on a comeback trail and is using her music to spread God's word.
Patricia Ochurus, who has shared the stage with music legends and veteran musicians such as late Jackson Kaujeua, Axali Doeseb, Vusi Mahlasela, Willie Mbuende and Cameroonian Manu Dibango, sat down with tjil to talk about her struggle with alcohol, drugs and life.
“I thought I was enjoying life, but life got the best of me. It started out as a moderate glass of wine and before long I realised that I was going a route that I didn't want to go,” she says.
Her children and the reminder of God's grace brought her back from a very dark place, she whispered.
“I am lucky to have survived and I realised so many other people are swallowed by life and cannot return and make right what was broken. I played with my life, I was not serious.”
And so she vanished into obscurity… not to hide from the eyes of the world, but to rediscover herself.
“My children were growing up and I wanted to make sure I portray an example of a strong and responsible woman. And the way of God was that way for me,” she said.
In her heyday, Ochurus made her mark with an unparalleled talent to entertain a crowd drawn to her like moths to a light.
She had the rare talent to keep her crowd enchanted even if they did not understand a single word of the song she sang.
Fans appreciated the fact that she didn't need a stage to perform and could deliver a riveting performance on the side of the road, in the backyard… all she needed was her voice.
Her stage presence was phenomenal and she was a larger-than-life musician which makes it difficult for fans to accept her as a gospel artist now. And because of this, not knowing how her fans would receive her return as a gospel artist… delayed her homecoming.
“I remember one of the newspapers said in their gossip section that 'Patricia goes hallelujah'. So I thought of what the people would say, but at the end of the day, music is music and it is my responsibility to use my talent to educate, especially about the risks of being an artist,” she said.
“I have hit rock bottom, how can I come back as an ambiguous artist? I must tell the world what saved me, what healed me and what keeps me going. And it is God. What is wrong with gospel? Bob Marley also sang gospel.”
Ochurus who was inspired by the Gladys Knight also known as the 'Empress of Soul' says music in Namibia is watered down.
“I come from an age where we made the songs our own. Nowadays there is too much lip syncing. It is not real. Artists must understand music is not pompous. I see so much competition today and it should not be like that,” she said.
“It is so sad and so painful. If you have money, but you cannot sing or entertain and still, you are pushed and you dominate the industry. You even find songs with only one sentence and you ask yourself what the message is?” she asked.
She emphasised that she is not competing with anyone and is an artist in her own right.
“I want to make a difference with gospel in Namibia and I want to make this message clear. I have and will never compete with another musician. Each and every single one is unique with their talent.
Asked how she is using that talent to change the music scene in Namibia Ochurus says she is reaching out to schools.
“Schools have become so rigid. I am working with some schools to start choirs and dance groups. When I was at school I always started dance groups at every school I attended and eventually introduced the concept of a band to these schools,” she said.
In her process of healing Ochurus also reaches out to the elderly and shares with them the good message.
Currently she is working on an album which has 12 tracks.
She is also working on a single and plans to release this early next year.
“I want to change people's lives with my music. And people will feel it when they listen to it. I am not a big saviour or anything like that but I want to sing about God and I know what he has done in my life. You will sense the difference in my music but music is still music,” she said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
“I thought I was enjoying life, but life got the best of me. It started out as a moderate glass of wine and before long I realised that I was going a route that I didn't want to go,” she says.
Her children and the reminder of God's grace brought her back from a very dark place, she whispered.
“I am lucky to have survived and I realised so many other people are swallowed by life and cannot return and make right what was broken. I played with my life, I was not serious.”
And so she vanished into obscurity… not to hide from the eyes of the world, but to rediscover herself.
“My children were growing up and I wanted to make sure I portray an example of a strong and responsible woman. And the way of God was that way for me,” she said.
In her heyday, Ochurus made her mark with an unparalleled talent to entertain a crowd drawn to her like moths to a light.
She had the rare talent to keep her crowd enchanted even if they did not understand a single word of the song she sang.
Fans appreciated the fact that she didn't need a stage to perform and could deliver a riveting performance on the side of the road, in the backyard… all she needed was her voice.
Her stage presence was phenomenal and she was a larger-than-life musician which makes it difficult for fans to accept her as a gospel artist now. And because of this, not knowing how her fans would receive her return as a gospel artist… delayed her homecoming.
“I remember one of the newspapers said in their gossip section that 'Patricia goes hallelujah'. So I thought of what the people would say, but at the end of the day, music is music and it is my responsibility to use my talent to educate, especially about the risks of being an artist,” she said.
“I have hit rock bottom, how can I come back as an ambiguous artist? I must tell the world what saved me, what healed me and what keeps me going. And it is God. What is wrong with gospel? Bob Marley also sang gospel.”
Ochurus who was inspired by the Gladys Knight also known as the 'Empress of Soul' says music in Namibia is watered down.
“I come from an age where we made the songs our own. Nowadays there is too much lip syncing. It is not real. Artists must understand music is not pompous. I see so much competition today and it should not be like that,” she said.
“It is so sad and so painful. If you have money, but you cannot sing or entertain and still, you are pushed and you dominate the industry. You even find songs with only one sentence and you ask yourself what the message is?” she asked.
She emphasised that she is not competing with anyone and is an artist in her own right.
“I want to make a difference with gospel in Namibia and I want to make this message clear. I have and will never compete with another musician. Each and every single one is unique with their talent.
Asked how she is using that talent to change the music scene in Namibia Ochurus says she is reaching out to schools.
“Schools have become so rigid. I am working with some schools to start choirs and dance groups. When I was at school I always started dance groups at every school I attended and eventually introduced the concept of a band to these schools,” she said.
In her process of healing Ochurus also reaches out to the elderly and shares with them the good message.
Currently she is working on an album which has 12 tracks.
She is also working on a single and plans to release this early next year.
“I want to change people's lives with my music. And people will feel it when they listen to it. I am not a big saviour or anything like that but I want to sing about God and I know what he has done in my life. You will sense the difference in my music but music is still music,” she said.
JEMIMA BEUKES
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