Set-Son Wahengo, the composer, rhythm guitarist and lead singer of The Mighty Dreads, says he will be relaunching his music career after a 11-year hiatus.
The singer’s comeback will be launched with a massive live performance set for Saturday at the Et Cetera (Old Chopsis).
The show, titled ‘Reggae Vibration’, aims to promote reggae and shambo music, as well as bring live performances to life.
During the event, Wahengo says he will be joined by fellow reggae musicians, Ngatu and Ras Ade.
Wahengo believes the event is so important, he’s even invited Namibia’s president Hage Geingob to come experience the live reggae and shambo performances.
“To be honest, the music journey has not only been difficult but extremely difficult. I don’t think I have achieved anything yet, though I discovered the essentiality of our traditional music genre – shambo, which is derived from the Oshiwambo tribe,” says Wahengo.
According to him, the genre stems from late legendary artists like Tate Kwela and Nanghili Nashima.
“I decided to remix ‘Kanailonga’ by Tate Kwela with a full band, which I am known for since 2004, which was part of the album ‘Kula Umone’ (Grow to See). The album did well, but it also brought hardship to my career, which is a story for another day,” says Wahengo.
During the event, Wahengo says he will be performing songs he composed 11 years ago and some old favourites.
He says the industry has grown drastically in terms of the production of quality music.
Wahengo was a founding member of The Mighty Dreads, which was formed in 1993. The Mighty Dreads are the first group to fuse ethnic Namibian music with modern musical instruments.
The band previously sang only reggae but later delved into the richness of traditional Oshiwambo music.
With the band, Wahengo performed regularly across the country, as well as further afield in China and America.
The band’s last album, ‘War Makes No Peace, was launched in 2012.
Tickets for ‘Reggae Vibration’ cost between N$80 to N$100, and the event starts at 18h00.
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