Namibia: NaJah to kick-start NUTS concert series

NUTS was founded by Goethe-Institut Namibia in 2014 as a platform for local and international musicians to showcase and promote their work.

In addition to playing covers, NaJah’s debut performance at NUTS will give her a rare chance to perform live music. “It is one of the few places in Namibia that is providing a platform for musicians to sing their original music,” NaJah said.

From the College of the Arts to stages at Franco Namibian Cultural Centre and City of Windhoek Jazz Festival, NaJah’s journey is a symphony of passion and authenticity. She creates music to change environments, society’s mindset and hearts. Too Blessed To Stress, her debut album released in 2022, demonstrates this.

“Why all this suffering? Why are people hungry, why are orphans on the street, why are there homeless people? I write about what I witnessed in my life, about people that are going through suffering like it happens here in Namibia,” she said.

Her song ‘Ghetto’ illustrates the issues of informal structures in Namibia. “Because you are suffering, nobody wants to stay there. But you don’t have a choice, you know you have to live somewhere better than under the bridge,” she said.

Growing up, NaJah was influenced by different types of music, ranging between international and South African township music. “There was music everywhere: If we were cleaning on a Saturday morning, we would play the radio loudly. If you were washing the car outside, you played music.”

It all began when her mother bought her a guitar. “When I started creating my own melodies, I felt a sense of relief. Something has been inside me for so long, but I didn’t know how to let it out. If I’m somewhere where I don’t feel alive and the beat of the drum, it’s like a flower starting to die slowly.”

Tickets to the NUTS event will be sold at the Goethe Courtyard on 2 February from 6pm.