- The German-based Motswana singer introduces the face behind the voice to Batswana
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Botswana’s music export to Germany, Pamela Nothando Bhulu, famously known as Nomina, recently conducted a media tour in Gaborone as part of re- introducing herself to her fellow Batswana.
Perhaps the upshot of her tour was when the songbird announced that she will represent Botswana at this year’s Independence celebrations in the United Kingdom, showcasing her talent on an international stage.
Local shows in the pipeline
“I was in the country to let Batswana feel and understand who Nomina is because they have been listening to my music and I wanted them to a put a face to the voice they have been listening to,” she told Time Out.
“Local shows are still in the pipeline. We are working on them with my promoters and we will share more details once the logistics are sorted out.”
Nomina has released her first own written single, “Don’t Cry Africa,” which she composed with Orchidan Waworka, a German- Indonesian producer. Her track “Amadlozi” took the international stage by storm in 2019. In 2020, “Fetish Daddy” also quickly reached hit status.
Prodigious
By the end of that year, Nomina released a melodic RnB single titled “I Still Stand.” Earlier this year, the prodigious workaholic released a new single titled “Closer To You,” which is a collaboration with music legend Sean Kingston of “Beautiful Girls” fame.
Said Nomina: “I released a music video of my single called “Rice” on Wednesday last week. I wrote the song to pay tribute to farmers who put in the work to produce this widely loved delicacy all over the world. The video is available on YouTube.
“When it comes to my music, I mainly do Afro pop as a way of embracing my culture. I am also a very experimental and versatile artist who works with different sounds.”
Collaborations
Her first single, “Mamaland,” released in 2016, was an introduction about who she is and where her roots and passion for music came from. The song was a cover version of the hit song “Mamaland” by renowned artist Yvonne Chakachaka.
In her interview with Time Out, Nomina expressed her aspirations to collaborate with various Botswana artists, including Mpho Sebina, Samantha Mogwe, ATI, Han C, Veezo, and Ban T.
“The Lion King”
Her early life saw her moving from Zimbabwe to Botswana where she joined her family in Gaborone. She had to find employment as a teenager to support her younger siblings after losing both parents at a young age. She later moved to Germany as an au pair to secure financial stability.
In Germany, she pursued business studies and began her music career with R&B studio productions. She also performed in iconic musicals such as “We Will Rock You,” “The Lion King,” “Mamma Mia” and “Dance of the Vampires.”
Nomina became the official ambassador for World Peace Berlin, performing live in 2020 on World Peace Day at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and in 2021 at the Victory Column, Berlin.
Charitable initiatives
Here is a woman with a strong desire to give back to the less fortunate, witness how she served through the #stophungerinzw project designed to help less privileged school children in her birth village and later founded the “Allrights Charity Association By Nomina” to independently continue her work of charity.