Wahengo on New Tunes and Plans

PINEHAS NAKAZIKOCelebrated guitarist and live performer Jackson Wahengo says he has taken a new direction in his music career, focusing on visibility, writing his own songs, bringing out new singles and working on various music projects.

He says he has been working extensively with different artists for more than two decades, such as being a backup guitarist for bands like Mighty Dreads, Moj and Elemotho, and artists like the late Jackson Kaujeua, Ras Sheehama and others.

“Somehow I stopped and concentrated on writing my own songs after finishing my music studies at the University of Cape Town in 2006. Moving back to Windhoek from Europe four years ago, I also decided to collaborate more with different artists,” he says, adding he spent a lot of time working on various music projects with his childhood friend and singer Shikololo.

He also worked with Top Cheri, Beate Baumgartner, Dreamchase Metusalem and Adora Kisting.

Wahengo says his biggest and most interesting collaboration to date was with Kisting on a song called ‘Oshitufi’ last year.

They also released a second single, titled ‘Ondishishi Nawa’, complemented by a video last Friday.

‘Ondishishi Nawa’ means ‘I know very well’ in Oshiwambo.

Last month Wahengo released a politically driven cover song titled ‘Oshimpako’, originally composed and performed by the late Tate Kwela.

“Loosely translated, the song means things have or are falling apart. It is about a child born in Swapo’s refugee camps, who is raised and trained by Swapo. I feel our movement’s leaders are taking way too much for themselves and then leave the masses with the crumbs. I feel we can do way better,” he says.

The video accompanying the song is now available on YouTube.

Wahengo says he and Shikololo are currently concentrating on live shows and will soon hit the studio to produce new sounds.

Apart from songwriting and collaborating with different artists, Jackson has also ventured into offering guitar lessons.

Wahengo says he grew up in exile and used to sing freedom songs in Angola’s refugee camps.

“I started as a singer in church choirs. We had to sing revolutionary songs, and I set up my own little choir. After singing, my guitar followed, and I did Bob Marley songs. From 1994 to 1997 we used to walk around with my guitar. My brother Setson formed a band and my brother Tulonga followed,” he says.

Wahengo says he would perform on the streets and collect money in a hat.

He then joined Setson and The Mighty Dreads as a guitarist.

After completing high school in 1997, he went on to study jazz at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

“I focused on learning more about jazz,” he says.

“My biggest achievements thus far, I would say, are playing at many big festivals, like Stockholm Pride in Sweden, the Montreux Jazz Festival, and many others.”

Wahengo’s music is a blend of jazz, zouk, folk, and reggae, and he sings in Oshiwambo.

He returned to the studio in 2019 after taking a break for many years.

He recorded the song ‘Tulonga’, about life in refugee camps, with Thomas Vang at the Village studio in Copenhagen, Denmark.

He released his first album, ‘Akutu Hewa’, with 14 tracks in 2012, but only launched the album in 2014 at the Playhouse Theatre in Windhoek.

The album features talented Senegalese songbird Farmara Mballo.