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The TVSA Interview: Lady May

Written by TVSA Team from the blog Interviews on 29 Oct 2009
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As spilt in the Lira interview, the Channel O 2009 Awards have arrived. They're happening at Carnival City tonight (29 October) and go out on TV on Sunday, 8 November at 20h30.

- Blast to the past: The 2008 Awards -

lady_may_1

Namibian muso Lady May on the 2008 Red Carpet

Lady May won the award for Best Dance Video last year and she's been nominated again this year for the vid. of her single: Ndota.

Last year was the first time I'd heard of her and I was quizzy to know more  - she wore completely different threads from everyone else and strutted a sassy style - both on the Red and when she won.

- RIGHT NOW: AWARDS 2009 -

Tashi: I saw an interview with you on the Red Carpet last year saying that your real name’s Martha?
Lady May:  Yes, my name's Martha and in Oshiwambo my traditional name is Maita so it’s Lady Maita - you just cut out the end and it’s Lady May.

Tashi: Why the Lady part of it?
Lady May: Well it’s because I’m a lady, you don’t have to be old to be one - and people take you seriously.

Tashi: Having won the Channel O award last year - did it impact on your career?
Lady May: It had a great impact - I had to get into the studio really fast and bring out an album really fast - my third album called Pink Chokolate. I’ve been getting more gigs - not only in Namibia but outside as well - the response was beautiful.

Tashi: Your fave colour’s obviously pink? Mine too - lurve it. Why? What is it about it that blows your hair back?
Lady May: It’s a very peaceful colour and I love peace - I love to laugh a lot too and it means that to me. My house, my room, everything’s pink - when I see it I just feel calm.

Tashi: Are you a fan of P!nk?
Lady May: I am - I’m a huge fan. I relate to her so much because she just has this attitude in the sense that she does what she wants and gets away with a lot of things - she’s not a bad girl but she’s tough and a go-getter - she’s my inspiration, she’s very, very tough.

lady_may_2

Tashi: Your look and style - how do you come up with it?
Lady May: It depends on my mood and what’s happening - if I’m in a bad mood I’d probably cut my jeans. I’m not scared to experiment with clothes but my main focus is my traditional gear.

I love it but the way I wear it isn’t conventional. I put some funk in it - I wouldn't wear gear as old ladies wear them. I always have them made according to how I want them to made - I take traditional clothes and then modernize.

THE VIDEO FOR NDOTA (includes pink bikini in a pool)



Tashi: Ndota - what does it mean?
Lady May: It’s a traditional game you play in a village, a game I used to play back in the day. My director Suleiman from Ogopa/Butterfly - the record label I'm with - directed the video.

My idea was to go to a village and show how the game is played but he suggested that you don’t need to show what you’re singing about so he wanted to do it in a studio. He said that because my face is still new to the continent, filming it in a studio would mean people would see my face more.

Tashi: Oh okay - and the guy in the video - who’s that?
Lady May: It’s DJ KBozz - he’s the producer of the whole album.

Tashi: Yes when I saw the video I was like, “Whose that? Whose pushing themselves into the video?” All the sudsing you do in the blow-up pool - why? Was that the guys' influence?
Lady May: *laughs* We wanted to create a fun feel to the video - I’m dancing, then I’m in the pool, then I’m at the car - it’s just a playful video.

Tashi: It's interesting - I was conflicted about it: at first I thought “Bah! it's been created for guys only,” but then I thought it’s a very liberated girl-power image. Being a muso in Namibia - what are the specific challenges you face?
Lady May: My image is very risk-taking - the people in Namibia, we're very reserved, and the image in the video isn’t but the people have accepted for who I am. It’s been a while now that I can get away with things - just like P!nk.

When people saw that video, they were like “Yah, that’s Lady May.” That’s how I came out - just saying “This is who I am - take it or leave it.” and surprisingly they’ve accepted me.

lady_may_3

Tashi: Do your friends and family call you Maita, Lady May or Martha?
Lady May: They call me Kamali - it means little Martha. It’s a very personal name, it’s the name my grandmother calls me.

Tashi: In your category - who’s your biggest competition? .. the other nominees:

Master Jam feat. RJ. Benjamin for Change The World (SA)
Goldfish for This Is How It Feels (SA)
Winnie Khumalo for Live My Life (SA)
Tzozo & Professor for Vuma (SA)
Black Coffee feat. Bucie for Turn Me On (SA)

Lady May: It’s a very tight category, I just feel honoured to be in the category as the wonderful guys in it.

Tashi: If you weren’t nominated - who would your favourite be?
Lady May: I love that Change The World song *sings* Chaaaange the Wooooooorld." And Winnie Khumalo. A brilliant song.

Ends

TVSA will be at the Awards so keep a lookout for winna-newz (ha), pics and the sc-ooh!-p.

PS: Decided I have to plot something radical to see Bleksem without-the-mask.





7 Comments

SistaBB
29 Oct 2009 06:09

haybo!
what's with the ALL in 1 hairstyle bathong?

baby e
29 Oct 2009 14:17

i am so traumitized by the second picture ijoo

mathata
29 Oct 2009 14:31

 where do they   get this ppl? music fabulous,im dancing like hell.

my puppy it just hm hmmm with the music.

Tashi
30 Oct 2009 14:59

! She won the category - and also gave the awards their most OMG moment when she accepted it : she went off, singing and whooping and going into overtime - they had to sound that bell-thing to say "okay, STOP, enough". Some cringed while others chuckled - I thought it was brilliant - SO MTV-moment and also as bold and fiesty as her outfit. All the juice coming up next week!!

mathata
31 Oct 2009 17:05

shis so f* original.you just smell Africa around you  with her  music.

madleza
02 Nov 2009 15:33

everything is mixed up  

phyllybusi
06 Jun 2012 22:29

Wow so nw de gal is in Big brother


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