New kid on the block: Jona Fullforce

By Rosalia David

WITH an industry as small as the Namibian music business, more and more new artists are working around the clock to release fresh music to try and get a piece of the cake. One example is Jona Fullforce, a budding musician who is pushing against all odds to get his music heard across the continent.

This week, Confidente sat down with the popular muso to get to know him better, especially since he has been in the news lately after being nominated for ‘Best House’ track for his song titled ‘Mbwangula’.

Although he says he has been doing music for quite some time, he only leapt to fame when he released a banging single titled ‘Kapana’ featuring Top Cheri and Uncle P.

“The journey has been long, I won’t lie. That is why I can’t believe that I have been nominated yet, as much as I believed in my album, but I can safely say that we are now making some progress.”

Jona Fullforce, who is now a solo artist started his music career with a group named Fullforce, which consisted of two other artists with the same goal, but the group separated on good terms years later to pursue their own professional careers.

‘I started doing music alongside my two brothers from another mother, Jero Fullforce and T-Kay Fullforce, doing Kwaito and as we grew a little older our interests also changed but I never gave up. I later on decided to push my music as a solo artist and featured Top Cheri and Uncle P on a song that actually became a hit.”

He says after going solo, he never looked back and released his first album late last year titled ‘Sense and Patience’, wherein he featured Exit, Uncle P, Neslow, King Elegant and many others.

With touches from the best producers in town such as Sam E Lee Jones, Arafath, ‘Andrew on the Beat’, House Guru Gang, Chronics and many others, the album impressed many people with its unique sound.

Before releasing the album, Jona said he first had to complete his studies before he could give music his full attention.

“It was not easy doing music and studying at the same time, and me being a music lover I had to choose studying and music follows after and I did that. I am still studying but the current course I am doing does not take that much of my time and that is why I am able to do both now,” he added.

Asked how he feels about being nominated for the NAMAs for the first time, he said it was hard to explain but he couldn’t be more excited. “I still smile every time I think of how far I have come and what more can I do than rejoice and wish for the best,” he said with a dashing smile.