Lady May (singer)
Encyclopedia
Lady May is a Namibian
singer. Martha claim to fame in 2004 with the release of her first album Kamali which won her her first award at the Sanlam-NBC Music Awards. Martha is one of the most popular female singers in Namibia. Her music is also recognized beyond the Namibian border and she's has been nominated and won several awards at the Channel O Music Video Awards
.
Lady May's music is a mixture of Oshiwambo traditional music and western pop. Most of her music is categorized under the afro pop and house
genre. Her early styles were a combination of R&B and hip hop
. She is signed to a South African record label Big Ear Records. Big Ear will release Lady May's long awaited bio-DVD titled My Life and All at end of October 2011.
from exiled parents at Calulo, a small village near Cuanza Sul. Just before Namibia's independence
she returned with her parents and settled in Ovamboland
and in 1994 she moved to Windhoek City.
in 2004 which won her an award for Best Female Artist at the 2004 Sanlam-NBC Music Awards. In 2005 Martha released her debut album titled Kamali which means little Martha in her native language Oshiwambo.
Her second album Come And Get Me was released in 2006, it was a change in style as she was moving into the afro pop genre. The album included 3 hit songs "Come and Get Me", "Bubblgum" and the popular "Chokola" whose video received a lot of play on Channel O
and MTVBase Africa
. The video was shot in Namibia in two locations by Tim Huebschle as part of an MTVBase Africa initiative. The video also charted on the channel and won the award for Best Dance Video at the 2008 Channel O Music Video Awards
.
In 2008 Martha performed at the Big Brother Africa 3
eviction show in Johannesburg
, South Africa
.
In 2009 Lady May teamed up with DJ Kboz's label Turntable King Productions and music management company Great Wings Promotions to produce and release her third album, Pink Chocolate. She was later featured on a hit song titled "Dana (Namibia Get Crazy)" by South African DJ/musician Bojo Mujo. This song propelled Bojo Mujo's album Session 6 to sell more than 50 000 copies between Namibia and South Africa. Lady May and fellow Namibian singer TeQuila
would later receive a platinum awards for their appearance on the album as 50 000 copies in South Africa represent a platinum plaque.
In December 2009, Lady May was invited by a Germany
based NGO called AfricAvenir to perform at Haus der Kulturen der Welt
in Berlin
.
On June 4, 2011 May received the Namibian Annual Music Awards
in the category "Best House Music", however, after verbally attacking the audience she was sent out of the hall and had to give back the award. She apologized through a press conference on June 7, 2011.
Namibian
Namibian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to Namibia, a country in southern Africa on the Atlantic coast.* A person from Namibia, or of Namibian descent. For information about the Namibian people, see Demographics of Namibia and Culture of Namibia...
singer. Martha claim to fame in 2004 with the release of her first album Kamali which won her her first award at the Sanlam-NBC Music Awards. Martha is one of the most popular female singers in Namibia. Her music is also recognized beyond the Namibian border and she's has been nominated and won several awards at the Channel O Music Video Awards
Channel O Music Video Awards
Channel O Music Video Awards, also known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards are Pan-African music awards organised by South Africa -based Channel O television channel. The awards were first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video Awards. Since 2005 the awards have been held annually...
.
Lady May's music is a mixture of Oshiwambo traditional music and western pop. Most of her music is categorized under the afro pop and house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
genre. Her early styles were a combination of R&B and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
. She is signed to a South African record label Big Ear Records. Big Ear will release Lady May's long awaited bio-DVD titled My Life and All at end of October 2011.
Early life
Martha was born in AngolaAngola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
from exiled parents at Calulo, a small village near Cuanza Sul. Just before Namibia's independence
Namibian War of Independence
See also South African Border War.The Namibian War of Independence, also known as the South African Border War, which lasted from 1966 to 1988, was a guerrilla war, which the nationalist South-West Africa People's Organization and others, fought against the apartheid government in South...
she returned with her parents and settled in Ovamboland
Ovamboland
Ovamboland was the name given by English-speaking visitors to the land occupied by the Ovambo people in what is now northern Namibia and southern Angola...
and in 1994 she moved to Windhoek City.
Music career
Lady May started to sing from the age of six, during her teenage years she started performing at school concerts. She recorded her first song "Lady for Life" with the help of producer KanibalKanibal
Shilongo Ashipala well known as Kanibal is a Namibian rapper and producer. He's one of the most outstanding Namibian rappers. He's considered a pioneer of the Namibian hip hop genre...
in 2004 which won her an award for Best Female Artist at the 2004 Sanlam-NBC Music Awards. In 2005 Martha released her debut album titled Kamali which means little Martha in her native language Oshiwambo.
Her second album Come And Get Me was released in 2006, it was a change in style as she was moving into the afro pop genre. The album included 3 hit songs "Come and Get Me", "Bubblgum" and the popular "Chokola" whose video received a lot of play on Channel O
Channel O
Channel O is a South African-based music channel which first started transmission in the early nineties. Its main concept is African music in Africa and the diaspora. Over the years, this music channel has made household names of its presenters such as Mimi, Nonhle, KB, Miss Candy.Channel O can be...
and MTVBase Africa
MTV Networks Africa
MTV Networks Africa is a division of MTV Networks International, a subsidiary of Viacom. MTV Networks Africa includes the multimedia entertainment brands: MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon....
. The video was shot in Namibia in two locations by Tim Huebschle as part of an MTVBase Africa initiative. The video also charted on the channel and won the award for Best Dance Video at the 2008 Channel O Music Video Awards
Channel O Music Video Awards
Channel O Music Video Awards, also known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards are Pan-African music awards organised by South Africa -based Channel O television channel. The awards were first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video Awards. Since 2005 the awards have been held annually...
.
In 2008 Martha performed at the Big Brother Africa 3
Big Brother Africa 3
Big Brother Africa 3 is the third series of the Big Brother Africa reality television show produced by Endemol. The series began airing on August 24, 2008....
eviction show in Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
In 2009 Lady May teamed up with DJ Kboz's label Turntable King Productions and music management company Great Wings Promotions to produce and release her third album, Pink Chocolate. She was later featured on a hit song titled "Dana (Namibia Get Crazy)" by South African DJ/musician Bojo Mujo. This song propelled Bojo Mujo's album Session 6 to sell more than 50 000 copies between Namibia and South Africa. Lady May and fellow Namibian singer TeQuila
Tequila
Tequila is a spirit made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco....
would later receive a platinum awards for their appearance on the album as 50 000 copies in South Africa represent a platinum plaque.
In December 2009, Lady May was invited by a Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
based NGO called AfricAvenir to perform at Haus der Kulturen der Welt
Haus der Kulturen der Welt
The Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin is Germany's national centre for contemporary non-European art. It presents art exhibitions, theater and dance performances, concerts, author readings, films and academic conferences on non-European Visual Art and culture...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
On June 4, 2011 May received the Namibian Annual Music Awards
Namibian Annual Music Awards
The Namibian Annual Music Awards, ', exist to recognize accomplishment in the Namibian recording industry by celebrating those groups and individuals who have excelled in the past year...
in the category "Best House Music", however, after verbally attacking the audience she was sent out of the hall and had to give back the award. She apologized through a press conference on June 7, 2011.
Albums
- 2005: Kamaali
- 2006: Come And Get Me
- 2009: Pink Chocolate
- 2010: Tiger Ambitions
- 2011: I AM: African Goddess