Placido Hilukilwa
OMBEDE, a cultural group established by unemployed young men in the Ohangwena Region 17 years ago and which has already demonstrated its performance skills locally and internationally, is now ploughing back into the community by sponsoring and organising a competition that is open for upcoming cultural dancers, singers and performers of other traditional entertainment activities.
The competition takes place at Helao Nafidi town on 23 April.
According to Ombede spokesperson Matheus Kaula, there is no limit to the number of participating groups and no registration fee is required.
Kaula said that the registration is currently ongoing and ends only on 23 April, moments before the commencement of the competition.
Officials from the Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam) will also attend the event to share information, answers any questions related to the industry and to facilitate applications, if any.
According to the plan, former minister Erkki Nghimtina will then hand over a trophy and ten gold medals to the winning cultural group.
Professional boxer Harry Simon is expected to hand over eight silver medals to the second best performing group.
The third-placed group will receive six bronze medals and the Helao Nafidi mayor, Darius Shaalukeni, will do the handing over.
The Ombede Cultural Group was established in 2004 and has ever since entertained audiences across the country and was the best performer, in its category, at an international cultural festival in Luanda, Angola, in 2018.
The registration of participants is being handled by Kaula (081 265 0611) and Hafeni Maufila (081 455 9736).
