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Phoebe Snow · Soft Rock Mix · Song · 2019

The year is 2025, and women in music aren’t just making waves—they’re steering the tide. From indie scenes to mainstream arenas, a fresh and fearless generation of female artists is reshaping the soni...

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Stella Naruses is one of the few female musicians that belongs to the ‘elite family’ of Namibian musicians. She is one of the rare artists in the country who has mastered the art of singing with a live band from a young age. The energetic performer, known as Stella or Stella Kapepo after her 2004 debut album, ‘Kapepo’, is also one of the few musicians who has reached stardom with their first project. The title track, ‘Kapepo’, from the album did not only earn her fame in Namibia, it also earned her continental recognition after it was nominated for the now-defunct Kora Awards. Despite her early fame, the Omaruru-born songstress has remained humble, something she attributes to the late Timothy Duwe, known as the ‘King of Ma /Gaisa’. “I was born at Omaruru, a small town in the Erongo region. I was raised at Swakopmund, where I also started my educational journey. I am now an artist, wife, mother and, most importantly, I am a woman with principles. I started singing while in Sub B [Grade 2. “I grew up idolising the likes of Brenda Fassie and Dolly Parton. I would always sing along whenever their music played on the radio. Also, my dad was a music collector and he would always buy the latest albums. I listened very attentively when he played them,” Stella says. She participated in talent shows and sang in the choir at Tamariskia Primary School, but her musical break came in 2003 when she was about to participate in the Tafel Lager Open Mic competition. “It was when Steven [Naruseb, owner of SAN Welwitschia Music Production, spotted me and made me an offer I could not refuse. He asked me to leave the open mic event and be Phura’s dancer and back-up singer at the Fame Factory music competition in Windhoek. “The agreement was to go with Phura, together with Swart Baster, to the Fame Factory that was televised by NBC TV, and he would produce an album for me as a reward. I could obviously not turn down the chance to have my own album. The rest is history,” she notes. Phura won the competition and Stella won herself a recording contract. Today, she is the wife and business partner of Naruseb. Stella, who no longer sings on stage as she did before, is currently busy with something she’s passionate about – advising and mentoring the young and aspirant singers of the Next Ma /Gaisa Star competition, a brainchild of her and her husband. “My husband and I co-founded the annual Next Ma /Gaisa Star singing competition, which is in its fourth season now. The event has become a resounding success since its inception and it is one of the main reasons I have put my singing career on hold. “We are still at the baby stage of this season. Contestants are still submitting their video entries. The judges will select only the top 40 entries and the competition starts on 21 June. I’m happy to assist aspirant singers to realise their dream,” says Stella, herself a multiple-award winner. Stella, who mostly sings in her mother tongue Otjiherero, scooped the best Afropop category with ‘Kapepo’ at the Sanlam/NBC Music Awards in 2005. She also walked away with the best single of the year award for her song ‘God Will Fight My Battles’ from her gospel album ‘For God So Loved The World’ at the 2014 Namibian Annual Music Awards. The outspoken songstress has left a deep footprint in the music industry. Apart from being nominated for two Kora Awards – best newcomer and best female artist for southern Africa for ‘Kapepo’ in 2015 – she also performed at the ceremony in Durban. She can’t speak enough of her experience at the Boundless Africa Music Festival, staged in Durban, where she shared the stage with musical giant Oliver Mtukudzi. “There were people who came from South Africa for someone who could perform with a live band to represent Namibia at the Boundless Africa Music Festival in Durban. The auditions were held at the National Theatre of Namibia and I emerged as the winner. “My time in Durban was worthwhile, especially when I met the late Mtukudzi, who was also someone I looked up to. He told me I shouldn’t consider a performance as something fun but as a job. I should work hard to entertain the crowd,” Stella says. Stella, who has released six albums, has the following advice for upcoming artists: “Never stop working hard. Go to a decent and expensive studio to record quality songs because quality attracts quality. Remember that if you produce good music, you will always attract good gigs. You can transform from an underdog to a top dog.” The post ‘I’m Happy to Assist Aspirant Singers to Realise Their Dream’ – Stella appeared first on The Namibian.

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Patty Griffin · Patty Griffin · Song · 2019

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