SWAGG''D OUT WITH PIKE

Wellem Kapenda AKA Pike is a young aspiring model who was born 19 years ago in the small northern village of Okaku. The former Gabriel Taapopi Secondary School student harbors the desire of becoming either a Computer Engineer or an English Teacher in the future. He lists his most favorite hobbies as swimming, photography and singing.

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Pike spots a bright red cotton jersey, a white shirt, yellow shorts and a trendy pair of lace-ups.

                          

The Urban Look: Pike wears a printed vest, blue jeans, a red belt and tops off the cool look with some jewellery and a purple watch.

The ultimate Autumn look: Pike wears a hooded jersey, blue denim shorts and Converse sneakers

You too could be featured on this page. Just send us a nice and well edited picture(s) of yourself in urban and trendy wear. Vintage clothing is also welcomed. Make sure that you're not above the age of 25 though. Email them to: phillipustobias@gmail.com. Don’t forget to include your full name (nickname optional), your age, school/varsity/occupation, your favourite pastimes and who your role models are.

PANDEINGE: SKETCHING HER WAY TO THE TOP

Pandeinge Shambwila is a young sketch artist who hails from the small northern town of Ongwediva. A third year student at the Institute of Banking (IOB), Pandeinge juggles her education with her passion for sketching as a hobby and side hustle. We caught up with her in Windhoek, where she is temporarily based, and posed a few questions about her life as a female sketch artist.

Hi, how are you? Please introduce yourself to the readers

Halo. My full name is Pandeinge Shambwila and I am a part-time sketch artist and 3^rd year student at IOB.

How did you start sketching?

Well the sketching bug bit long ago. I have been sketching way back since I can remember. As a child I was ever drawing things and I enjoyed doing it more than going out to play or to chill with friends.

A portrait of Marilyn Monroe

Do you consider sketching as your profession?

Not really. It’s a part-time thing that I do, I am still a student. But with that said I make sure to put 100% full effort and attention into my work.  I would rather describe this as a hobby that gets me paid from time to time.

Do you possess any educational qualifications in this type of art?

 Unfortunately I do not posses any educational qualifications in sketching. I am self-taught and I rely purely on my natural God given talent to get the job done. But I would love to go to art school, perhaps in the future or if I am offered a scholarship. I prefer to go to an arts school that’s abroad, artists and their art are more respected and admired there.

Pandeinge's delicate sketch of a horse.

Are there any sketch artists such as yourself? If yes, do you work together with them?

Of course there are. I know a couple of them personally, like Hage Mukwendje and Amuthenu Petrus. They are all equally good at their art. We plan to hold an exhibition of our work sometime in the future, if I receive adequate funding from the National Art Council this will become a reality for both of us and as well as for our current and potential future clients.

How much do you charge for your sketches?

A lot of people criticize me for under charging my work but I believe that the time will come when I will charge a normal market price for it. For now I am looking to put it out there and making it popular. I charge the following rates: A4-N$ 500.00, A3-N$ 700.00, A2-N$1000.00, A1-N$1300.00. I can also deliver my work to whatever place you are in Namibia.

Pandeinge presents a portrait to the Founding Father Dr Sam Nujoma

Is this a male dominated trade?

Yes, I do not know of any other female sketch artists like me. A lot of people that I meet are always surprised when they find out that I am a sketch artist and by the fact that I am a female one, some of them are a bit unsure of how good my art is but those are just wrong perceptions that people hold. My work always proves them wrong.

Is there real money to be made from this type of art?

 Well it depends on the number of clients that you get. In my case, I can say that currently I am not fully satisfied with the money that I make but it helps me get by so I am grateful for that.

NUDE: The intricate features of the female body

Do you have someone that you look up to in your field of art?

Yes, Kelvin Okaffor, a Nigerian born UK based sketch artist. His work is totally awesome. I watch a lot of his online tutorials just to learn a thing or two. I also admire artists such as: Alex Turner, Helen Green and Natalia Vasilyeva.

Have you sketched a well know or famous person so far?

Yes. So far I have sketched Sally Boss madam, The Dogg, Tobie Aupindi and the Founding Father of the Nation his honorable Tate Sam Nujoma.

For anyone that’s interested in this talented young lady's sketch art. You can contact her via email at pandeinge@gmail.com or shawtyp87@ymail.com or via her facebook profile: PandeingeShawty-P Moses.

ROLLING WITH: MAYA NETO ( Music video/film producer/director & Photographer)

MAYA NETO (Video/film producer/director & photographer)

The Spectrum caught up with video director and producer Maya Neto recently at his place in Windhoek West, to get a glimpse into his mind and his life behind the camera. After a couple of calls trying to get directions to his place we finally met up. The first thing I noticed about this maestro is that he is very opinionated and extremely passionate about his craft. For those of you who don’t know the genius behind Gazza’s "Gimme Gimme" video, Sunny Boy’s "50/50" and a whole lot more other great music videos, Maya Neto is a 28 year-old guy who originally hails from Angola. The self taught music video director/producer is a former learner at Jacob Marengo High and a former I.T. student at Triumphant College.

Give us a brief background introduction on yourself.

Well I am Maya Neto, a 28 year old guy born in Angola. I have been in Namibia for 12 years now and I am a video director/producer as well as a photographer.

Describe yourself personality wise. Are you an easy going person?

I am a very straight forward individual who prides himself on tirelessly working to perfect my craft. I am not very outgoing and I find it hard to interact with people that I do not know or haven’t met before. I get a lot of people shouting my name in my presence or greeting me and I really don’t know how to react to that, but I guess that it comes with the territory and I’ll just have to accept it. I am very friendly though and i hangout with a lot people that are in my line of work.

What would you say are your weaknesses and strengths?

I invest a lot of money on equipment, I like getting the latest equipment, considering the fact that technological progression is quite fast these days. I push myself to the limit every time and I don’t believe in handouts, I hate handouts. I believe that we should all go out there and try to make a better life for ourselves without having to completely depend on handouts. Concerning my weaknesses…I’d say that what you think of yourself is what you make of yourself, your environment also affects who you are and fortunately for me all that I have mentioned has worked to my advantage so far. But I could say that my weakness is the fact that I am not a very social person, so that could be a hindrance sometimes.

 

A scene from Gazza's video of "Gimme Gimme" which he filmed

What’s the most annoying situation you have found yourself in?

It always the same situation, and that’s lack of punctuality from my clients. Most of them are not punctual when it comes to meeting the agreed time that we initially agreed upon. This is something that I loath and I discourage people from doing. It’s very annoying because I like to get the job done early so I can move on to the next project. Another thing is that people, mostly my clients, put unrealistic expectations on me and that’s natural but some of them expect a N$10 000 budget video to look like Lil Wayne’s N$200 000 video, or more, to look exactly the same if not better. That to me is unrealistic, the more money and effort you put into the project the higher the probability that your video will be of superior quality.

Do you believe in luck?

No at all! I believe that people create their own luck as they go out to seek what they want. These events that occur were if you hadn’t been in that place at that time this or that wouldn’t have happened are just coincidences and should be treated as such. If you were meant to achieve something it’s not because of luck it’s because you were destined to achieve it, what ever it is. I am not superstitious, I view occurrences like that as opportunities and we should all grab them and make use of them.

What’s your favourite chill out spot?

Tornadoes. It’s very homely and the owners there are very warm and open. It’s a place were you go to when you’re bored and want to feel at home. It’s not like Sky Bar in Hilton Hotel were you only go there for the service that’s it, Tornadoes has that intimate feel to it.

Are you romantically involved with someone?

Yes, I have a girlfriend and we are expecting very soon.n (They gave birth to a dotting healthy baby boy)

 

He also filmed Exit's music video for "Namibia To Zambia"

What’s your favourite meal & drink?

I don’t have any specific favourite meal. Every meal that I cook is a favourite. In regards to drinks, I like Coke.

Favourite movie?

It’s a Spanish film titled ‘Pans Labyrinth’. It’s a very interesting film, and I think it won an Academy award for best foreign film.

Any favourite artist(s)?

Locally I have none. I enjoy African folklore music such as Angeliko Kidjo and Salif Keita’s music.

What interesting book have you read recently?

That’s an interesting question. I actually have audio books, I don’t know whether that qualifies as reading but yeah I like ‘Rational Optimistic’.

Do you indulge yourself in sports?

Yeah, but not the popular sports here like soccer or rugby. I have done some Brazilian martial arts known as ‘Capoeire’, most break dancers are familiar with it.

Any concluding words that you would like to share?

Yes, don’t wait for handouts, get out there and hustle. Nothing comes easy so have faith and believe in yourself, always. And don’t try to be like the next person, be different, and be daring

MY FAVOURITE HOUSE MUSIC ALBUMS 2013/2014

1. Heavy K – Respect the Drum-Boss

There’s no doubt in my mind that this album deserves the first spot on my list. It’s the most brilliant house album that I have ever bumped to. Heavy-K is the acoustic son of music and he marvellously fuses acoustic African elements with deep bass soothing beats that create irresistible dance jams. Released at the end of last year (2013) “Respect the Drum-Boss” is his first solo project and boy did he get it right! From the opening track ‘Wena’ featuring Mpumi and Revolution to the last one ‘Teka Teka’ (the remix) all of them are nothing short of creative genius. Popular tracks to look out for are: ‘Katalina’, ‘Yini’, ‘Coming Home’ and ‘Beautiful War’.

Rating: 4.5/5

2. MiCasa – Su Casa

Ever since this dynamic trio of J-Something (vocalist), Mo-T (trumpeter) and Dr. Duda (pianist) came out with their smashing single ‘These Streets’ which was superseded by their hot freshman album “Micasa Music” they have been on an upward climb with nothing set on bringing them down. “Su Casa” is their sophomore project which leaves up well to its predecessor and does even much better, the fresh melodies and jazz elements incorporated into the album are awesome and J-Something’s angelic voice is just the right tone to wonderfully cook it up into a musical delight. Noteworthy tracks to look out for are: ‘Turn You On’, ‘Feel The Love’ featuring Jimmy Nevis, ‘Voce’, ‘Jika’ and ‘No Greater Love’ which is a heartwarming ballad to the late great Madiba.

Rating: 4/5

3. Cox – Revelation

Now I know that technically this album was released at the end of the year in November of 2012 but for the sake of our music industry and for the sake of house music in Namibia in particular I’ll put it on this list. Anyway the album has made more waves in 2013 than 2012, it’s Cox’s first album and I must admit that I was (and still am) astonished by its quality music. Cox is a talented vocalist and producer who uses deep melodic sounds, tribal rhythms, and enchanting lyrics in his Oshiwambo vernacular to his and us, the listeners, advantage. I’ll give this album the title of Best House Album to come out of the Land of the Brave if I have to, it’s stupendous! If you’re a house music fan than you definitely need this in your collection. Tracks to look out for are: ‘Revelation’, ‘Ndapandula’, ‘Kurunyandi’, ‘Eternal Words’ featuring Uncle and Respect (Efimaneko). And ow… check out his latest singles ‘Shima Shiwa’ and ‘What You Need’ on SoundCloud.

Rating: 4/5

4. Dj Kent – The Weekent

The first thing that attracts me to this album is the creative name, “The Weekent’ which is a clever combo of his, Dj Kent’s name and the popular time of the week, the weekend. TRhe Album is divided up into three discs namely: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The tracks are smooth and deeply soulful but there’s a touch of dance too. It’s important to note that the album comprises of a few tracks from other Dj’s as well. I bump to this album almost all the time because it relaxes me and places my mental state into the weekend spirit Awesome tracks to check out for are: ‘Sunrise’ featuring Zaki Ibrahim, ‘Maria’ featuring Justin Chalice, ‘Spin My World Around’ featuring The Arrows, ‘Moonlight’  and ‘Fall In love Again’ featuring Relo.

Rating: 3.5/5

5. Oskido – I Believe

Oskido is a legend in the industry, I’ve been bumping to his songs since his ‘Church Grooves’ compilation. This album is testament to his creative genius and it proves that like old wine his talent only gets better with time. “I Believe” enthuses a lot of tribal elements and is hit laden which is something not unusual for his co-music label Kalawa Jazmee which has produced stellar albums the past couple of years. The most popular jams to check for out are:  “Tsa Mandebele’, ‘Teka Teka’, ‘Skippers’, ‘Woza Nana’ featuring Thandiswa Mazwai.

Rating: 3.5/5

6. Mafikizolo – Reunited

The transformation of Mafikizolo is nothing but musical delight. The duo have been making wonderful music together for quite but seemed to have hit a snag, they also persued solo music careers which yielded respectable rations. The title, ‘Reunited’, for me signifies a lot, the fact that they have regrouped is one and the fact that it can be applied to our love lives is another. But whatever way you look at it its terrific piece of work, they couldn’t have made a better choice but to shake it up with well rounded house music producers. Tracks to look out for are: ‘Khona’, ‘Reunited’ and ‘happiness’.

Rating: 3/5

7. Uhuru – Our Father

Uhuru is the most popular house music group at the moment. Their musical exploits have left many in a sweet state of awe. They have collaborated with the best in the industry and have also prompted our very own Gazza to cook up a collabo with them. ‘Our Father’ is nothing but a hit. Popular tracks to pay an ear to are: ‘Y’tjukutja’, the remake of Bongo Maffin’s hit ‘Thath’Isgubu’, ‘Ketsetse’ featuring Professor and ‘Wahalela’.

Rating: 3/5

8. Araffath – House of Araffath (1^st Mission)

Popular local producer Araffath Muhuure has come a long way since his Eagles Mentality years and now owns a successful music production label (Triple 7 Productions) which has set itself a history of producing nothing but the best music. After helping other artists such as Jericho, Ethnix and Maszanga attain great acclaim with their albums Araffath is now on a mission to make a name of his own, as a house music guru. ‘House of Araffath: 1^st Mission’ is his first house project and has received great recognition from local music lovers. Popular tracks off the album include: ‘Oshiwambo Way’, ‘Bughter Meisie’ featuring S-Man, ‘Mokona Remix’ featuring Exit, ‘Oka Shu Shu’ featuring Dice, ‘African Heritage’ and ‘Omboga ya teka’ featuring Samuele Gotwealth.

Rating: 3/5

9. Liquideep – Welcome Aboard

Liquideep haven’t outdone themselves on this one, though it is nothing close to their first album it’s a stellar work as far as soulful house is concerned. The talented duo are facing stiff competition from rivals MiCasa and this album is no where near to beating them but there are some glimpse of their usual magic within some of their tracks. I just feel that they should have included some variety within their album, maybe a little bit of dance would have been great, love song after love song just messes it up and turns their project into a bunch of lullabies. Songs to look out for however are: ‘Welcome Aboard’, ‘Strangers’, ‘Rise Again’, ‘Waiting’ and ‘If you’re Ready’ featuring Khuli Chana.

Rating: 2.5/5