Last supper for Ovi-trap fans
Fatherhood has changed Nga-I as a musician and man.
It has been a long trek to finally snagging a coveted interview with the Ovi-trap pioneer Nga-I.
This worthy expedition commenced back in February, when I wanted to write a feature on celebrity couples.
I reached out to him, but he politely declined, saying he would rather have his work written about, and not his private life. Understandably so.
But when the opportunity arose once more to interview him, I grabbed it with both hands. I sat down with the descendent of Chief Samuel Maharero to talk about his new album, fatherhood and going into early retirement.
Nga-I has never really been your conventional artist, and since blowing up on our radar, we have carefully observed his journey, and still we've yet to truly break down his musical essence.
With one album, two extended plays (EPs) and 11 mixtapes, Nga-I has changed the rules of the music game one way or another. He has managed to seize a substantial amount of music fans who follow his music all over the country, who crave the unfiltered approach he uses in his music.
He recently announced his early retirement, but being the generous musician he is, he has decided to drop one last album before evacuating the music scene for good.
The new album is titled Do It For Nation and is slated to be released on Saturday, 30 November. This will be his second studio album, and even though he maintains it is his last, we hope he changes his mind, because the music scene still needs his contributions. “Do It For Nation is a timeless body of work. It is foresighted so it does not only explore things that are happening now. No one is going to be disappointed.
“I am aware of the pressure and disappointment of many with my decision to quit music, but the pressure is one of the reasons I am making this my last album. I have principles that I live by and I never want to do something out of pressure,” Nga-I shared. He will host an album listening party at Chicago's Bar and Restaurant on 30 November and will officially launch the album on Friday, 6 December at The Parliament in Katutura.
For this album, the Ovi-trap chief will also be going on tour in different parts of the country, as well as Botswana.
“I want to meet and interact with people that believe in me. Because of social media I am removed from the ground, but my wish is to meet my fans in person; that is what the album tour will be about - engaging with my fans,” he said.
His goal with Do It For Nation is to let the music fill young people with the spirit of ambition and resilience.
He recently became a father and admitted that as young people most of the time we are not in a financial position to adequately handle parenthood. “We ask ourselves, 'how am I going to do this'. We are overwhelmed by the pressure from our parents; that is why this album is liberating. You won't feel like it is the end of the world and you will be reminded that it is going to get better.
“It is worse for those in the entertainment industry, especially women, because inconsiderate comments such as, 'You are a mom now, you can't perform anymore' and 'What are you doing here, you should be with your child' are often thrown at them,” he said, adding that having a kid at a young age does not mean you should say goodbye to your dreams.
He added that fatherhood has brought joy into his life and has given him a wake-up call to focus on what matters the most in life, which according to him is God, family and happiness.
“I think back to three years ago and I would have never imagined having a beautiful baby girl with the girl I love, a girl I've always had a crush on,” said Nga-I.
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
This worthy expedition commenced back in February, when I wanted to write a feature on celebrity couples.
I reached out to him, but he politely declined, saying he would rather have his work written about, and not his private life. Understandably so.
But when the opportunity arose once more to interview him, I grabbed it with both hands. I sat down with the descendent of Chief Samuel Maharero to talk about his new album, fatherhood and going into early retirement.
Nga-I has never really been your conventional artist, and since blowing up on our radar, we have carefully observed his journey, and still we've yet to truly break down his musical essence.
With one album, two extended plays (EPs) and 11 mixtapes, Nga-I has changed the rules of the music game one way or another. He has managed to seize a substantial amount of music fans who follow his music all over the country, who crave the unfiltered approach he uses in his music.
He recently announced his early retirement, but being the generous musician he is, he has decided to drop one last album before evacuating the music scene for good.
The new album is titled Do It For Nation and is slated to be released on Saturday, 30 November. This will be his second studio album, and even though he maintains it is his last, we hope he changes his mind, because the music scene still needs his contributions. “Do It For Nation is a timeless body of work. It is foresighted so it does not only explore things that are happening now. No one is going to be disappointed.
“I am aware of the pressure and disappointment of many with my decision to quit music, but the pressure is one of the reasons I am making this my last album. I have principles that I live by and I never want to do something out of pressure,” Nga-I shared. He will host an album listening party at Chicago's Bar and Restaurant on 30 November and will officially launch the album on Friday, 6 December at The Parliament in Katutura.
For this album, the Ovi-trap chief will also be going on tour in different parts of the country, as well as Botswana.
“I want to meet and interact with people that believe in me. Because of social media I am removed from the ground, but my wish is to meet my fans in person; that is what the album tour will be about - engaging with my fans,” he said.
His goal with Do It For Nation is to let the music fill young people with the spirit of ambition and resilience.
He recently became a father and admitted that as young people most of the time we are not in a financial position to adequately handle parenthood. “We ask ourselves, 'how am I going to do this'. We are overwhelmed by the pressure from our parents; that is why this album is liberating. You won't feel like it is the end of the world and you will be reminded that it is going to get better.
“It is worse for those in the entertainment industry, especially women, because inconsiderate comments such as, 'You are a mom now, you can't perform anymore' and 'What are you doing here, you should be with your child' are often thrown at them,” he said, adding that having a kid at a young age does not mean you should say goodbye to your dreams.
He added that fatherhood has brought joy into his life and has given him a wake-up call to focus on what matters the most in life, which according to him is God, family and happiness.
“I think back to three years ago and I would have never imagined having a beautiful baby girl with the girl I love, a girl I've always had a crush on,” said Nga-I.
MICHAEL KAYUNDE
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