“It took me almost 25 years”

Performance and former Matongo Family member Strauss Lunyangwe, also known as Mr Makoya, says it has taken him almost 25 years to get on an international stage.

Mr Makoya spoke to The Namibian last week, after his first international stage performance, where he performed alongside Tate Buti and Top Cheri in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States recently.

According to the performer, he and the other two local artists performed at the annual Namibia Community Association Reunion at the Galt Hotel, where Namibians from different cities in the US come together on a particular weekend to interact and engage in various issues while having fun.

“I was invited before, but things fell through, so when the discussions started again late last year, the organisers made sure that everything would go smoothly,” says Mr Makoya.

During the event, Mr Makoya perfromed various hits from his third studio album ‘Bly In Jou Baan’, including the song ‘Living Your Life’.

“From the feedback of attendees, it was superb because once you perform from the heart, the crowd can immediately reciprocate that, which makes the show more enjoyable,” says Mr Makoya.

He says the experience was eye-opening, as you could see different tribes coming together to celebrate Namibian culture.

He says it was humbling realising that some people had to fly in while others had to drive for more than 10 hours to attend the event.

“It goes to show the type of unity we are preaching about that is being practiced among Namibians abroad,” says Mr Makoya, adding that he had to stay for a couple of days to shoot some shots for his new music videos.

“I also had the opportunity to present my new clothing brand Turastyle’s summer line, which people loved,” he says.

The brand will be launched in Namibia in the spring.

Another artist who performed at the same event, Tate Buti, told a daily newspaper that the opportunity was good exposure for him and that he learned a lot from the hosts and fellow artists.

“To my fellow artists in Namibia, hone your craft and ensure that you are well-established in your country first. Our country is beautiful. It’s nice, I am telling you – musicians must start here. Create good music because people are watching and they will invite established artists to perform on these international stages,” Tate Buti told the paper.