Dangwa Makes Opera Seem Easy

Since the launch of her first album in 2017, music teacher and opera singer Emily Dangwa has done an outstanding job in helping to strengthen Namibia’s struggling music Industry.

The singer has two albums – ‘Divine Blessing’, released in 2017, and ‘Confessions of a Woman’, released in 2019 – under her belt thus far.

Dangwa is launching her new album, ‘Courage Through Fear’, on 19 September. She says due to the current pandemic, the launch will be held online at 20h00. Tickets can be bought on Events Today for N$270 each, and a private link will be sent to the buyer through their electronic ticket.

The album consists of eight songs. For the project, she has teamed up with Imms Nicolau (keyboard), Samuel Batola (guitar), Titus Mapundu (drums), Jean-Pierre Ntsika (bass) and various backup singers such as Zikii Hangero, Carla van Kent and Esmeralda Cloete.

Dangwa says her upcoming album is a dedication to those who have gone through loss in their lives. “As a wife, mother, businesswoman and woman, the experiences that I have gone through and am still going through in this pandemic have been overwhelming. It certainly is not easy. Having to make constant safety decisions for my family, having to cope with my kids and husband at this time, and still having to run a business through the current fluctuations has basically been a show of courage through my greatest fears,” she explains.

The classical artist says she wants her new album to serve as inspiration for other women so they can be encouraged to not give up during the pandemic. “My message is to all wives and moth- ers out there doing the most to hold their families together in this crisis, though they are scared.

“I want them to know that they are not alone and that they are important.Women need to hear these messages because they are often overlooked, especially mothers and wives. So I wanted to give them the credit they deserve,” she says.

Dangwa says some of her personal songs on the album are ‘Struggling’, ‘Moment in the sun’ and ‘Courage through fear’. ‘Moment in the sun’, was inspired by the first time she met her husband while ‘Courage through fear’ is a call to all women.

The artist, who did her undergradu-ate studies in opera and a postgraduate degree in music performance at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, says while working on the album she learned that culture and ethnicity play a big role in the sound behind certain genres of music.

“What I liked the most and will never forget is the way the music came alive when the band started playing and the backup singers added their talented and unique voices. This album also made me see myself in a different light,” she says.

Dangwa says she first came across opera while at university, and fell in love with the genre. “It has expanded my vocal abilities beyond my wildest dreams. I like opera because it is logical, well calculated and beautiful. Everyone I have ever sung to has appreciated the genre for the work and power behind it,” she says.

Besides her music career, Dangwa is also a music teacher. She teaches voice, music theory and piano at the ED Music Academy in Windhoek. She decided to teach others because she felt there was a need for more vocal trainers in Namibia and she enjoys helping others, especially young singers, to discover their voices.

“This is so dear to my heart. I also help singers that have undergone nodule surgery to close that gap and sing again. Now during the Covid-19 pandemic, my classes have been greatly affected. Online classes have been a bit difficult, but possible. I have also lowered the prices during the pandemic, which has been difficult.”