The daughter of a Scottish father and Zambian mother, Namvula was brought up multicultural. Because her parents were missionaries, Namvula moved regularly and, in addition to Zambia, she also lived in Switzerland, Kenya and the United States. With London as her current hometown, she has emerged as a singer / songwriter, photographer, music workshop teacher and co-founder of Film Africa, which promotes
… African cinema and culture. On her debut album Shiwezwa we hear how her special origins and life course have led to a very own, original sound. Namvula mainly sings in Zambian, but also in English, Portuguese and French. In a natural, casual way she mixes African music with Latin, jazz and folk. Her singing and guitar playing is complemented by a star line-up of African musicians living in England. The album title refers to the village of her great-great-grandmother Namvula after whom she is named. In poetic terms, Namvula sings about the value of spiritual wealth, expresses her gratitude for life and asks them to open our hearts to others. (SvdP)more
