The Best of Damara Punch

It’s one of the categories often swamped by tons of applications and landing a nomination for best Damara Punch at the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) is no easy feat, even for established artists. The Weekender looks at the nominees in this category…

Vibrant duo Eldicko Geiseb (Eldazz) and Reinhardt Pieters (Raxa) – better known as Tswazis – up their game on ‘Sa Geluks’, a song about that girl you have your eye on and make your move on because you just might hit the jackpot.

Produced by the talented Kallo on the Beat and mixed and mastered by Elvo Diergaardt, the track is a great example of the magic created when two gifted music giants team up.

The former back-up dancers have won at the NAMAs before, and this track may just continue the streak. Highly listenable, ‘Sa Geluks’ is a modern song with a fresh sound that one can dance to all night long.

Tswazis celebrate a decade in the music industry next year. The duo is also nominated in three other categories – testament to the fact that they only give the best to their fans.

Tboz and Staika are an inseparable duo and the thumping track ‘Nauxabe’ is dominated by an urban beat that stays true to the genre’s sound. Having won in this category before, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if they do it again.

They are known for taking on issues that are often taboo in society, this time tackling gender-based violence and things male musicians often find difficult to address. Produced by Staika and Magic Fingaz, ‘Nauxabe’ tells the tale of a cheating woman who invites a guy over to the home she shares with her boyfriend. The catchy track features a rough nylon string guitar sound and showcases Tboz and Staika’s lyrical prowess as well as a beat that makes you move your whole body.

Gospel musician Rodney Seibeb shows why he’s such a musical chameleon on ‘Ne !Guib Aib’ (This World) – a track on which he sings first, second and third tenor and ventures into Damara Punch while still keeping true to his worship roots. This is his third NAMA nomination over the years, having previously received nods in the best gospel and best reggae categories.

‘Ne !Guib Aib’ is a funky and danceable song that carries a rather sombre message about the troubles of this world – things like gender-based violence, rape and financial constraints. It’s a song about us as Namibians uniting and standing up against evil and facing challenges together.

Although nominated for the first time this year, Nelumbu ‘Kinzzo’ Gideon has achieved the rare feat of securing two nods in the same category.

He is certainly a trendsetter – even singing in Oshiwambo, similar to Tate Buti who also did a Damara Punch song in Afrikaans and Oshiwambo. Kinzzo is a go-getter who is unafraid to go where others do not dare and ‘Eendjo’ is blissful, with the sound of piano serenading smoothly over to the drums and the guitar completing this dance track.

In this song with Fimbiko, 
Kinzzo motivates entrepreneurs and all people who are involved in business. The song, sung in Oshiwambo, has a funky vibe which both old and young will move and groove to.