Pezzico and Killa B back in cut-throat industry

Rukee Kaakunga

“I started doing music in 2004. There were tough times and to be honest, things have only started to go well now,” he said. His main challenge was sponsorship or financial support, which meant he had to finance all his work single-handedly. “Everything fell on my shoulders, but this made me realise that everything takes time,” he says.

When times got hard and his music wasn’t pulling in enough money for him to survive, Pezzico opted to get into the taxi business, buying a car which he drove for two years until he got back on his feet. “Some people judged me and some would make funny comments when they saw me on the road but that didn’t bother me. I had to drive to make money survive,” he said.

His latest album, titled ‘Ouxupilo’ chronicles his personal journey and the sacrifices which have led him to where he is today. He collaborates with D-Naff, Kuku Nkandanga, Mushe, Benjamin K and Maj Beats. This album is a fusion of Kwasa Kwasa sounds, traditional Oshiwambo folk music as well as Afro Pop.

Killa B is no stranger to Namibian music either. He can be described as one of the artists who propelled the rise of popular music in Namibia, at a time when even a Namibian industry was hard to conceptualise. His sixth studio album ‘Efenge’ has his signature township feel to it but is heavily dosed with techno house beats. The artist, who is currently signed to Dutch/French label Sound Bridge, is obviously moving with the worldwide trend of fast paced dance music. On the album, he works with First Lady, The Dogg, Dice, Mr Makoya as well as Onsane Niihana.

Management is one of the biggest factors hampering the industry says Killa B, who claims that managers often pursue a different direction to what their artists want. He claims he suffered a physical blow a few years ago when he was stabbed seven times by a group of guys who attacked him at a show in Rosh Pinah. “I learnt at that time that people do things that we don’t understand. It was just a bad situation that I chose to leave behind and that is why I moved to the north to start over,” said Killa. If the current sales of his CD are anything to go by, this talented musician has yet to show us what marvels he can create in the studio.

Both these albums have been doing quite well on the market says Dragan ‘Antonio’ Djokic who is one of the leading distributors of Namibian music in the country. “Pezzico’s album has been on the market about six or seven months longer than Killa B’s, but compared to his previous albums, this one is doing very well. Killa B’s album, even though it has only been on the market for a month, is already on the Radio Energy top ten countdown. I think it’s doing better because he has changed his style. Both albums are very promising,” Antonio said.

The ‘Efenge’ and ‘Ouxupilo’ albums are available at all Antonio’s Art Shops across the country as well as Spar supermarkets.