D-Naff
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Naftalie Shigwedha Amukwelele (born 1 January 1974) commonly known as D-Naff, is a Namibian multiple award-winning and top selling
rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...
/singer, actor and a former street
gangster A gangster (informally gangsta) is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''Organized crime, mob'' and the suffix ''wikt:-ster, -st ...
. D-Naff sings inspirational Gospel / religious music in the style of
kwaito Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, between the late 1980s and 1990s. It is a sound that features the use of African sounds and samples. Kwaito songs occur at a slower tempo range than other styles of h ...
,
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
,
kizomba Kizomba is a social dance and music genre that originated in Angola during late 1970s to early 1980s. Kizomba is a national heritage of Angola and means "party" in Kimbundu. Traditionally, kizomba was danced with family, friends, and acquaint ...
,
dancehall Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...
and
afro-pop African popular music (also styled Afropop, Afro-pop, Afro pop or African pop) can be defined as any African music, regardless of genre, that uses Western pop musical instruments, such as the guitar, piano, trumpet, etc.Olabode, O. (2023, J ...
. D-Naff is also a
motivational Motivation is an internal state that propels individuals to engage in goal-directed behavior. It is often understood as a force that explains why people or animals initiate, continue, or terminate a certain behavior at a particular time. It ...
and
inspirational speaker A motivational speaker (or inspirational speaker) is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. Such speakers may attempt to challenge or transform their audiences. The speech itself is popularly known as a pep ta ...
and has visited more than 100 schools, Universities and colleges in Namibia including the
Namibia University of Science and Technology Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...
,
Windhoek College of Education The Windhoek College of Education (now known as the University of Namibia Khomasdal campus) is a public university in Khomasdal, Windhoek, Namibia. It opened in 1978 and is one of four national colleges of education in the country. Notable alumni ...
,
Ongwediva College of Education The Ongwediva College of Education (OCE) was one of four pedagogical colleges in Namibia. It offered three-year undergraduate diploma courses in basic vocational education to elementary and high school teachers: the Basic Education Teacher Diploma ( ...
and the
University of Namibia The University of Namibia (UNAM) is a multi-campus public research university in Namibia, and the largest university in the country. It was established by an act of Parliament on 31 August 1992. Background UNAM comprises the following fac ...
.D-Naff mini biography
/ref>


Early life

As a young boy he grew up "takandeke", a traditional popular fight among the Aawambo young men practiced as an initiation into manhood, as well as swimming in the plains and wells during or after rainy seasons with his friends, and hunting in the forests. Time and again he would come back home with his shorts torn from all the climbing and adventure. He attended Eendombe Combined School and later Namibia English Primary School in Windhoek the Capital City of Namibia. This was after his father returned from exile after fighting for the liberation struggle of Namibia and took the then young man to the city to gain some education for the purpose of becoming better in life. This dream became a reality in D-Naff’s life however, without his father’s presence to witness what the world would refer to as D-Naff. His father died in 1998 while D-Naff was in France at the world cup performing for the world cup with his first musical group The Glamour Boys.He matriculated at Augustineum Secondary School and went on to enroll at the college of the arts under the mentor ship of the talented Ernst Von Biljorn. He is currently serving as a Senior Immigration officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration's head office Windhoek, Namibia.


Personal life

D-Naff is married to Dainess Ziba, originally from Chingola Zambia who is also a Gospel artist and his back-up singer and the two travel together on his tours.


Career

He started his music career back in the early 90s while still a student at "Jan Jonker Afrikaner Secondary School" in Windhoek Namibia, under a group called the "Glamour Boys" which was an acappella group whose five members were all part of the National Youth Choir of Namibia, under the leadership of Conductor Mr Erenst Von Biljon. The group toured France in 1998, during the
soccer world cup The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
under the sponsorship of the Franco-Namibian Cultural Center FNCC. After giving his life to Jesus, D-Naff went on to establish a Gospel hip-hop group called Eagles in Flight which later became Heaven's Dialect. After the exodus of the Group's producer to U.S.A., the group disbanded and D-Naff went on to establish another group called "Eagle's Mentality" which became the winner of the 2005 "Best Gospel" at the Sanlam-NBC Music Awards. To date he has won more than ten (13) awards including at the NAMAS. He is ranked number 15 most downloaded artist on iTunes in Africa and number two in his home country after the Dogg. D-Naff has been appointed as the (goodwill) Ambassador for the National Youth Council of Namibia (NYC). He has in 2014 been appointed Kora Awards goodwill Ambassador 2014/2015 to Namibia, in the fight against the Ebola virus, joining 53 other African artists and musicians who are also Kora Awards Ambassadors in their respective nations, and together they raise awareness on the Ebola virus and also to raise funds to be sent to the organizations dealing with the epidemic. They are to approach their Presidents, political leaders, business communities and the entire nation to join the Kora movement.(See Kora website). His duties as National Youth Council of Namibia Ambassador include: addressing the Namibian youth countrywide on matters facing them, being the spokesperson for them, motivating and inspiring them to be the best they can be and to live a life full of meaning. D-Naff was also a member of a Choral group called Cantare Audire, under the leadership of Mr. Ernst von Biljon at the college of the Arts. Through his career as a musician, he has toured the United States, Europe and Africa.


Music

He released his first solo album entitled ''Oshagwana'' in 2006 which made him more popular. In 2007 he released his second album entitled ''Iikele Yuuyuni Mbu'' which won him an award at the
Namibian Music Awards The Namibian Music Awards (NMA), is a Namibian award show that annually honors established recording artists. The award was established in 2006 in order to create and provide a suitable musical entertainment and promotional platform for Namibian ...
in the gospel category with his song, ''"Tsipi Tsipi"''. His third album ''Above The Limit'' was released in early 2008. He is currently the best selling Gospel artist in Namibia, and the country's top and most requested performing Gospel star. He has collaborated with international artist such as: Sabastian Magacha from Zimbabwe, Marvin B3 Kasomo, Mark B3 Kasomo, Prince Keddy, Ephraim Mutalange, Ty2, Damiano, Chola Chola and Tio both from Zambia. His music enjoys airplay in all radio stations across the country as well as Radio Phoenix and ZNBC in
Zambia Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
. He has released 11 albums to date. Namgospel United is a gospel movement consisting of various gospel Artists, singers and musician from Namibia which he founded with the aim of uniting gospel artists from within Namibia. The group is open to all gospel artists.


Discography


Solo albums

*2006:''Oshagwana'' *2007:''Iikele Yuuyuni Mbu'' *2008:''Above The Limit'' *2009:''The Untold Truth'' *2010:''Reloaded'' *2011:''Undisputed'' *2012:''Greatest hits'' *2013:''Eschatology'' *2014:''Reborn'' *2015:''Demon proof'' *2016:''The Light That Shines'' *2017:''D-Naff vs Naftalie'' *2018:''The Illegal Book'' *2019:''Epangulo''


Other albums

*2005:''Otweya'' By Eagles' Mentality *2015:''A Design of Destiny'' By Dyna *2015:''Omagumbo'' by Christmas *2016:''Ombago Y'omkongo'' By Christmas *2016:''Ondaka yange'' By Steven Side *2017:''Set Apart'' By Lady Dyna *2020:''Unbroken'' By Lady May Africa


Awards

To date twelve (12) awards have been won under D-Naff Entertainment. *1x Best Shambo (Sanlam /NBC Music Awards. *1x Most discipline Artist of the year (NAMAS. 2016 *1x Most Socially Responsible Artist of the year (NAMAS.2015 *2x Best Gospel Artist (Sanlam NBC Music Awards. *1x Best Gospel Artist (NAMAS.2013 *1x Best Gospel Artist (NAMAS).2011 *1x Best Gospel Artist (NAMAS)2015 *1x Male Artist of the year (NGOMA 2018) *1X Best Reggae (NAMAS).2018


Other Awards

2017 Namas Best Tradition by Christmas 2018 Ngoma Best Album by Lady Dyna NB: NAMAS - Namibia Annual Music Awards NGOMA - Namibia Gospel Awards


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:D-Naff Living people 1974 births 20th-century Namibian male singers Gospel musicians Kwaito musicians Namibian rappers Namibian hip-hop musicians 21st-century Namibian male singers Musicians from Windhoek