ANNE HAMBUDAWe love a good vacation and being able to see beautiful places, especially in and around our country Namibia. Over the weekend, we took a drive to the beautiful town of Rundu and it was a trip for the books.
This town is a great place to be. It is much greener than other parts of Namibia, the weather is mostly a lovely blend of humid, hot and cloudy, and the people are friendly and welcoming. It was hard not to pick up a bit of Rukwangali while there for three days, so mpandu komudingu gweni Rundu.
Our main reason for being in this town was to attend three filming sessions (Friday to Sunday) off the shore of Samsitu Riverside Camp.
This live music session is released monthly on YouTube and features artists performing with a full live band on a stage built on a raft floating on the Okavango River.
We have reviewed episodes in the past, but watching a live taping versus seeing it once it airs are two different experiences.
As you well know, what one sees in the final edit is but a small portion of what really goes on, so it is mind- blowing to see just how massive the effort is and how they bring it all together seemingly seamlessly. The Ngandu team is made up of about 12 primary people and then secondary groups who they hire for various functions.
The ensemble for the weekend consisted of their executive producer Andreas Gustav, producer and director Michael Kayunde, creative director and stylist Nahenda Matheus, and sound engineer Tweuya Nelumbu.
Then they have three different cameramen filming and capturing different types of imagery. This time around they had Spectrum Media once again on the main visuals, Melky’s Art shooting stills and Pequeno Gang capturing behind the scenes moments.
They also have a digital marketing person, Kawela M’ule, for social media, an operations manager, and their resident band is made up of a guitar player, lead bassist, drummer and keyboardist.
Beyond that, each day of filming is catered by a dedicated team of chefs who serve up something delicious, and everyone is shuttled back and forth between venues by more people who handle transport, operations and other logistics.
What is great is that the team seems to have really involved their hometown in the mix, and the list of people who help or contribute in one way or another just keeps going.
Being on set is quite an experience, where you get to see the team troubleshoot and overcome technical issues and record an episode. You are also treated to beautiful scenery and amazing encounters on the river.
There is a main boat that houses the stage, lighting, cameras, sound operation and creative crew. This vessel slowly traverses the Okavango River as the artist and full band perform.
Their creative director and stylist, charged with bringing it all together in a cohesive manner, considers the collaboration stressful yet magnificent. We asked her what goes through her mind while trying to bring the aesthetics to life.
“I never really know what I’m thinking while styling a shoot, I just know that I want to create something that speaks to the musician and I pray something solid comes together and makes sense in the end,” says Matheus.
From how the artists are dressed to the little details and props on the stage, her work blends well into nature and comes off quite cute on screen.
A second, smaller boat is where guests, media, influencers and some more cameras are stationed. This one follows the main boat and circles it several times for the guests (and most importantly, the photographer) to shoot content at all possible angles. It also periodically leaves the main boat and takes its passengers on a more scenic journey along the river, sometimes coming quite close to neighbouring Angola, where people sometimes stand, fascinated.
Each episode of ‘Rock the Boat’ is shot in under an hour at sunset, though the ramp-up is lengthy. Before the director says “action”, the set is rehearsed on the boat and before that, the artist will go through the songs with the band on land.
Before they even get to Rundu, they take weeks rehearsing in the capital, dedicating hours and hours to perfecting the show. Episodes come out at around 30 minutes a pop and this weekend of filming was for the first three of season 2.
Day one of filming featured Namibian legend Ras Sheehama. The talent that this man has is absolutely insane. His attention to detail and deep understanding of music were quite obvious and coupled with the beautiful tracks that make up his catalogue, it was an evening to remember.
He was joined on stage by visual artist Shamoullah /Howoses, who painted as he sang, and created a piece that resonated with the music.
There is just something about floating on the Okavango River between Namibia and Angola, listening to tracks like ‘Cassinga’ and ‘Inotila’ that will bring a tear to your eye, and a warm feeling to your heart.
After his performance, the artist sent a message out to the youth of Namibia, encouraging them to become interested in politics and the running of the country.
On the second day, Sunny Boy shone in a light that he is rarely seen in. Yes, we have danced to ‘Balance’ and ‘Summertime’ countless times over the years, but the addition of the live band really helped highlight the crispness of his voice and how much fun he is to listen to.
On the last day of filming, new to the game, Waters took the stage for a chilled RnB session that had everyone swooning.
He sang some favourites like ‘Notice’ and ‘Konganda’, and absolutely stunned in an original Sirenga outfit that was a lovely pink two-piece made out of corduroy.
Being on the river is akin to a spiritual encounter and such an amazing vibe when you factor in all the Jägermeister shots, the great company and everyone’s excitement.
Lumba Masule, a content creator and guest for the weekend, expressed excitement over being able to be a part of the experience.
“It was an eye-opener to the potential the Namibian entertainment industry has. ‘Rock the Boat’ is a brilliant idea and deserves more visibility. I loved being at Rundu and couldn’t have picked a better place to spend the long weekend,” she expressed.
And she was right. The scenery is unbelievably beautiful and the sunsets are magical. At some point, we were even lucky enough to see a magnificent hippo pop its head up from the water and then swim away. It was equal parts terrifying and magical, and a great way to conclude the trip.
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