Tangeni is ‘On The Move’

They say “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but it was really hard not to form a perception of Tangeni from his poorly photoshopped ‘On The Move’ album cover.

However, my judgement proved to be wrong when the artist’s music fell on my ears. The first track, ‘Closer’, kicks off with an Afro-jazz sound and later infuses a little bit of Afro-beat, giving it a West African sound which is a popular trend in African music nowadays. This song is definitely a club banger.

The same sound flows through to ‘When She Gets Down’ featuring S.I.S. However, this track is more Namibian as it incorporates Damara-punch instrumentation with Khoekhoegowab adding that extra special spice alongside the drums, guitar, piano, flute and saxophone to make it the perfect feel-good anthem.

Tangeni brought the Damara-punch element to ‘Hau ôA Inama’ as well. Although this track’s instrumentals are led by the drums, it slows down the pace, making it a more sensual sounding piece. Bringing back the West African flavour, ‘Maria’ is another exciting track.

A noticeable tendency Tangeni and the producers on the album employed is their diversification of arrangement which makes each track distinct and stand out. ‘Maria’ certainly stands out above the rest.

Waiting for a disappointing moment to strike, track seven, ‘Grinding’, featuring Ruby, hit that nail right on the head. While remaining diverse, Tangeni took a step in the wrong direction with this track. Sounding much better in vernacular, this predominantly English hip-hop song had no place on the album. While not being a particularly bad song in itself, it would have been better left off the album.

‘On The Move’ takes a giant leap back to what makes this album enjoyable on ‘Mïba Tere’. Tangeni pulls off Damara-punch and other African genres pleasantly. Unfortunately, track nine ‘Moment’ also didn’t deliver the goods. Neither did the title track, however, it was slightly more enjoyable.

‘Missing You’ takes us back to the sound that makes this album authentic and ends it off on a high note. Despite a few minor setbacks, ‘On The Move’ was impeccably produced, mixed and mastered and Tangeni seems like an exciting talent with lots to offer. If he sticks to what he’s good at, his next project will surely be much anticipated.

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