Page On Juggling Different Roles

Julius Marco Hamwele, better known as Page from the band Ethnix, is not only a musician but also a businessman and father.

Juggling his different roles has never been simple, and he is often forced to make difficult decisions to keep things running smoothly, he says.

Page started his music career in 2007, writing rap songs with his first group, Dream City.

“We put out music online and performed at ‘Whatagwan’ and high school events. But we faced many challenges because we didn’t have a good quality studio, no funds to push our project, and a lack of industry knowledge which affected the quality of our music.”

Page also says radio stations were hesitant to play their tracks at the time.

He never released a solo single back then because he was soon scouted and signed by the late legendary producer Araffath Muhuure.

“‘Oshiwambo Way’ off Araffath’s album was the song that got me more recognition. The song was produced and belonged to the late Mahuure, who featured Ethnix, which was me and Young T at the time.”

The group included a female vocalist, Etjo, after Young T left to pursue a solo career.

“We were introduced to Etjo by a friend who is now living in another country. Etjo blew us away with her deep singing. We then made her the lead vocalist of the group and recorded our first hit single, ‘Lambela’ in 2013, which was well received by many,” Page says.

Since then their recording process has been pretty simple, and Ethnix is known for tunes like ‘Open Up’, ‘Composure’, ‘Ponomate’, ‘Ohole so Nice’ and ‘Omaronga’.

“We make the beat in the studio and start recording right away. This helps to stimulate our creativity. The difficulties we confront during recording are when we both have fantastic ideas and can’t decide which one to utilise.”

According to him, the ability to touch hearts with music and use their power to transform the livelihoods of their communities is Ethnix’s greatest success.

“These kids now know that if Page from Ombili can do it, so can they. Other accomplishments include winning honours such as the Namibia Annual Music Awards and travelling the world with Ethnix.”
Page works at the Namibia University of Science and Technology as an information practitioner. Working with students who are largely young people and fans can be overwhelming at times, he says.

“It’s also difficult when we’re scheduled out of town or out of the country and I have to work at the same time. Sometimes, I have to make difficult decisions,” he admits.

He does his best to manage his time and still fulfil his tasks, and says he enjoys being kept busy since it keeps him away from many unwanted distractions.
Page is also a co-founder of The Beat, an Okuryangava venue he co-owns with businessman Imms Shikongo and producer Andrew on the Beat.
He says the establishment was inspired by music, after numerous musicians would come to the studio to record and always had to go and get drinks and food from other locations.

“Today, some of the most incredible people are coming to enjoy our delicious food and cold refreshments. Big creatives like Gazza, King TeeDee and TopCheri are among our customers.”

Aside from this, Page is a graphic designer and a real estate novice.

“I have other projects in the works, but I cannot reveal them until they are completed. One thing I can tell others is to follow their aspirations and trust their instincts, since this too shall pass.”

He says Ethnix will release a second album this year, as well as more video content and events across the country and beyond.

“I’m also tempted to release an EP of unfinished songs that we might never use. This is not an indicator of going solo; rather, we are just distributing fantastic music to our followers. Ethnix will stay unbroken and intact.”