Meet Dawda and the fantastic kora – a traditional string instrument
from the Gambia that is many hundreds of years old. But for Dawda, the
kora is new every day, and he blends all his musical experiences from
Gambia, from jazz and rock, from Denmark and Scandinavia where he now
lives, and from Afro, pop, and folk music when he creates his own music
through the instrument and the many electronic effects he also uses.
Actually, Dawda started by learning to play percussion, and only as an
almost-adult did he switch to the kora with its enchanting, crisp, soft
sound – what a stroke of luck for us. For this concert, Dawda brings two
good musical playmates. One is the creative multi-artist Siv Øyunn
Kjenstad from Norway. For this concert, Siv plays drums and sings. The
other is the playful and experimental Nikolaj Svaneborg, known from the
jazz duo Svaneborg Kardyb. Nikolaj plays keyboards and synthesizer
Born in 1978 in Ndola, Zambia, Jackson Wahengo is Europe-based Afro-pop
artist from Namibia. The artist spent his childhood in Angola and Congo
(Brazzaville). His passion for music began when he was young – Jackson
would play the guitar and sing freedom songs for his country while in
the refugee camps of Angola. He came to Namibia in 1990 when the country
gained its independence.?
The artist enrolled at University of Cape Town (UCT), where he studied
to become jazz guitarist. In 2012, he released his debut album, ‘Akutu
Hewa’, which was facilitated by the Namibian National Arts Council and
the Swiss Cultural Cooperation Office, Artlink. In 2014, he released
‘Eeloli’, a song that celebrates Nanghili Nashima’s strength, creativity
and impact on Namibia’s traditional music.?
From 2008 to 2015, he was based in Geneva, Switzerland. He is currently
based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The artist has played with numerous bands
in Namibia, South Africa and Europe. He has also performed at the
Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. In April 2015, he performed at
the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) in Zimbabwe, and
does music workshops on African music.?
His music is a fusion of urban, jazz, rumba, zouk and reggae. He sings
in Oshiwambo and his lyrics reflect traditional Namibian society and
politics.