ELEMOTHO has over the years cemented himself as one of the Namibian musicians who have contributed to introducing a uniquely Namibian sound to the rest of the world. Performing on international stages is nothing foreign to him and 2016 will see his music adding more stamps to his passport.
Apart from the acoustic sessions Elemotho had at the start of the year, the Afro-fusion artist was invited to take part in the Kalahari Jazz Festival scheduled to take place this month in Kuruman, South Africa.
The festival will feature award-winning South African sensation Zahara, current hitmaker Nathi and the legendary South African band Stimela joining Elemotho on the planned line-up.
Elemotho says he was humbled by the invitation and feels it is an indication that he is being recognised for his previous performances in South Africa.
“All the time I spent performing in South Africa is finally paying off,” he said.
To give the festival-goers a true Namibian performance, the award-winning musician will be taking a six-piece band and will possibly be accompanied by a member of a local broadcaster to document the festival.
“We are still in talks with NBC to come on board and have one of the journalists join us and cover the festival. It is also a great opportunity to source content for local television,” he said.
His travels don’t end there. Elemotho is also scheduled to spend a few months in Germany where he will be working on a children’s production. While there, he and Sam Batola, a fellow Namibian musician popularly known for his lead guitar skills, will stage some acoustic shows.
“We will be in Europe from early April to June. I will also be performing at the Berlin Kenako festival.”
Before leaving for Europe, Elemotho and Sam will launch the Afro-Acoustic Experience in early April to give Namibian music lovers a taste of what they will be doing in Europe.
Whenever he steps on stage, audiences are guaranteed a musical experience to write home about.
Asked what his secret is to remaining relevant and unique, Elemotho says it is all about good, beautiful music. Music that brings people healing and makes people feel.
He adds that having the opportunity to perform outside the borders of Namibia has helped him see the world and further craft his skills.
Having shared his art with music lovers for over decade now, Elemotho says he has no thoughts of retirement as he does not think he has ‘made it’ yet.
“I will only be able to say I made it when people know my country through my music,” Elemotho said.
While all this is still to come, fans of his music can make their way to Zoo Park this evening where he will be in concert with ‘Moro-Moro’ singer Big Ben.
Although the two will be doing separate sets, Elemotho has not ruled out the possibility of a surprise collaboration on stage.
Audiences can expect some of his new material as well as his older tracks in his well-known and much-loved jamming style.
The show starts at 19h00. Tickets are N$150 in advance, available from the National Theatre of Namibia, and N$200 at the door.
