Hailing from Oranjemund, upcoming Afro-pop artist Ndapandula Hailaula, also known as Royal Ndappy, is already making her mark in the music industry.
The 25-year-old shared that she fell in love with music at the age of eight by listening through earphones and feeling the beats differently.
In December, Royal Ndappy released her latest music video, ‘TakaShine’, which is inspired by herself and her grandfather, who used to work in the mine at Oranjemund.
“I am a perfect example of something that is shining, and there is a verse saying ‘to be making money’ which I am already making. So that’s how I got the idea for my recent song. It’s all about letting your personality speak and shine for itself. Let your music shine and speak for itself,” she says.
As a young upcoming female in a men-dominated industry, Royal Ndappy says the only issue she has faced is people trying to compete with each other, which is not good.
“Sometimes you find, especially men, trying to stay on top, but when you know your place like me and you are not competing, everything will be okay. We are all running our different races at the end of the day. If my music is better, then it’s better, but it’s not about competing or anything else.”
Her music breakthrough came in 2020 when she recorded her first single ‘Mohole’.
“After that, I started getting attention from producers and from artists, like ‘who is this? We want to work with her or she has potential’. So that was 2020, and then from there, I pushed through. But also before that, in 2017, I was recording, but it wasn’t really like proper stuff,” she says.
Royal Ndappy says ‘TakaShine’ describes who she is and how she feels at this specific moment in her life.
One of her hit songs, ‘Hambelela’ features DJ Kboz.
“I have worked with so many people: Ethnix, King Koxxa, TopCheri, Menxebe, Andrew on the Beat, and creators such as Franklin and more. And I am currently an ambassador for project Never Walk Alone.”
Royal Ndappy says she likes to work on projects that are different, projects that speak volumes, whether in fashion or the lyrics and the beat.
“I have a colourful imagination and I would like to work with Fireboy DML, Simi from Nigeria, and more. One thing I can say is to never stop believing in yourself. You will never know until you try, and don’t ever forget what made you hungry in the first place, because that’s the reason you started.”
She says young people should always remember that when you have something, you can lose it as fast as you got it. – unWrap.online
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
