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Amsterdam band to collaborate with Namibian San community

13 Mar 2017 - 17:42

Published under the Creative Commons Licence

Shishani and the Namibian Tales, a Namibian band based in the Netherlands, will join forces with four elderly women from the Ju/'hoansi San community in Namibia.

Shishani and the Namibian Tales will travel to the Kalahari in June.

According to a press statement, the four-member group will travel from Amsterdam to the Kalahari Desert in June this year "to go on a musical adventure that dives into the wealth of traditions of the San communities".

The Ju/’hoansi music group comprises vocalists //Ao N!ani, Seg//ae N!ani, N!ae Komtsa and Baqu Kha//an as well as bassist Afron Nyambali. Ju/'hoansi, also known as the !Kung, are inhabitants of southern Angola, western and central Botswana as well as northern and eastern Namibia.

The acoustic quartet and the Ju/'hoansi singers will craft ancient songs, blending them with elements of jazz and rock. This rare musical meeting is expected to inspire new ways to pass on these old songs from the San for generations to come. A tour will then take place in Europe in the summer of 2018.

Namibian Tales was founded by percussionist Sjahin During and vocalist/guitarist Shishani Vranckx in Amsterdam in 2015. Other members include cellist Bence Huszar as well as mbira, kora player and singer Debby Korfmacher.

In 2016, the group won the last Band Standing Competition in Namibia. They have also been praised for crafting a unique sound with their unusual instrumentation that blends Namibia-inspired themes with diverse sonic influences.