Namibian artist Lasarus Mvula has released his latest self-titled album, ‘Mvula’, an 18-track project he says reflects both his artistic growth and the potential of the local music industry.
The album features collaborations with several Namibian artists, including Ndappy Royal, Neslow, Sweety Namibia, Dkandjafa, John Shibaza, Xmas, Zomblam and Page Ethnix. Blending African rhythms with international influences, the project aims to showcase the diversity of local sound.
“The album is meant to show that Namibia has great producers, that our music is consumable, and that together, we can make time-honoured music,” Mvula says.
Among the tracks, ‘I Miss You’ stands out as particularly personal.
“Love, loss, acceptance, and understanding,” he says, describing the song’s theme.
“It’s about accepting that being stubborn or proud will lead you to loneliness. In real relationships, there must be compassion, compromise and understanding.”
Mvula says his music continues to draw inspiration from everyday experiences. “Life inspires me daily. The difficulties and challenges I go through inspire me to create something unique,” he says.
His musical journey started at Oshakati, where he recorded his first track at age 13. Early efforts, however, brought limited recognition.
“I only released one song and could not attract much attention. Since DjTize worked with popular artists such as Tate Buti, Luka Buster, and Pablo Diablo, I shifted to work with MC Shy from Shy Guy Records,” he says.
After focusing on his education, Mvula returned to music in 2019, a turning point he says reshaped his career.
“Since 2019, after graduating, I am now working on music and producing alongside Mr Glow. I never looked back since then,” he says.
Despite releasing multiple albums since then, Mvula believes the local industry still faces structural challenges.
“We still have the same problems despite Jackson Kaujeua, Ras Sheehama, and Pedrito paving the way,” he says, pointing to limited support from local platforms such as DJs and broadcasters.
Even so, he says he remains committed to his craft.
“I perform, collaborate, make music, that is who I am. There is nothing more important than God and my daughter.”
Mvula also encourages emerging artists to remain consistent and disciplined.
“There may not be a lot of us, but there are more of us each day. Never hesitate to be unique and love our music. I will never let you down if you believe in me,” he says.
Looking ahead, he emphasises the importance of collective effort within the industry. “We need to build discipline among ourselves and work hard to bring the fire back into Namibian music because what we create today will become history tomorrow,” he says.
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