Choral music rises octave
Jane Katjavivi, Chairperson of the FNB Foundation presenting the cheque to Lydia Ramphoma.
Jane Katjavivi, Chairperson of the FNB Foundation said that Imba Namibia ‘Sing Namibia in Oshiwambo’, was the brainchild of Ms Lydia Auala-Ramphoma and Mr Rolf Hansen and could be seen as “Cure Music” soothing not only to the ear but for the general well-being. She based this on research conducted which showed that joining a choir could be a cost-effective way to improve people’s well-being.
“While the feel-good effects of singing have long been recognised, there is growing evidence that it can have a positive impact on a range of physical and psychological conditions, leading to campaigns for singing on prescription. These findings suggest that feeling part of a cohesive social group can add to the experience of using your voice to make music.”
Lydia and Rolf have seen the need to plough back into the nation what they have learned and experienced after having sung alongside some of the world’s best voices on both international and national platforms. “For me, that is innovation at its best, coupled with passion. One of the FNB values is innovation, and we thus applaud you.”
Lydia said “Assistance such as this towards the world of Arts is always whole-heartedly appreciated. Musicians, and Artists in general are usually very passionate people, and especially passionate about what they do. Imba Trust Namibia was established through passion for music, particularly choral music. A genre that has a way of uniting, creating joy and have everyone speak the same language. The inspiration was generated by a very passionate man, Mr Ernst van Biljon.
From Imba Namibia, Namibian Voices, formerly known as Voices of Namibia was born. This ensemble represented Namibia twice at the World Choral Games, and brought back several medals including Gold and Silver.
