Multi-talented South African actress, singer, presenter, dancer and choreographer Natasha van der Merwe says she's ready for her first Namibian tour.
Best known for her role as Suzie Naude in the popular South African soapie 'Suidooster', Van der Merwe will be gracing the stage for three exclusive performances.
She will perform at the Windhoek Golf and Country Club during an intimate evening dinner today, and tomorrow she will perform as the opening act for South African singer-songwriter Bobby van Jaarsveld at the Pionierspark church hall. On Saturday, she will be at Out of Nature Country Lodge's meet and greet/spitbraai.
During her tour she will also launch her second single 'Wag Vir Jou'.
The performer says audiences can look forward to a one-woman show with a little storytelling about her life and career.
She will also be performing her first single 'Hou My Vas'.
"I will be singing my brand new track on 1 June before it's even released anywhere in the world. They are my singles. They are very special to me and I can't wait to share them with everyone," she says.
The single will be launched worldwide on all social media and digital streaming platforms.
Van der Merwe says the song is all about waiting for 'the one'.
"I think being the age I am and society having led us to believe that we should be married with five children, two dogs and a white picket fence and have this perfect life by this age. It's also okay to not have all of that and to normalise the fact that everyone's journey is different. It's basically written from a place of, I know that I could've been married by now, but I know that I'm also waiting for the right person. As much as there might have been many opportunities, I'm not prepared to just say yes for the sake of saying yes."
Instead of a music video, Van der Merwe will be doing a TikTok and Instagram dance challenge. There are amazing prizes to win, so keep an eye on her social media platforms.
The singer says performing alongside Van Jaarsveld was something she did not expect.
"It came about in January when Marcha Reed from MR Entertainment in Namibia got wind of the fact that I'm bringing out my debut single, while she was planning on bringing Bobby to Namibia and offered me to be the opening act, which is absolutely epic. I have never worked with Bobby before. So I'm looking forward to it. I think he is a great artist and I think it's going to be a lot of fun," she says.
This is also Van der Merwe's first time in Namibia and she says she's really looking to having a little taste of what Windhoek has to offer.
"I was dying to come to Namibia. I know that there's a massive 'Suidooster' following and it's a country that I've always wanted to go and explore. I was invited to come over and I definitely was not going to turn down the opportunity. It was an absolute no-brainer and I'm really, really looking forward to experiencing a little bit of Windhoek and then hopefully many more Namibia tours in the future. Namibia is just such an incredible natural wonder of the world for me," she says.
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After being in the industry for 16 years, music has always been a big part of her life. Even from a young age she listened to her dad's LPs and absolutely fell in love with music.
"My career as an artist, music artist in particular, has only sort of just kicked off about a year ago, but I would say it is something I always wanted to do. It's just a matter of the right timing. I think in terms of a career, I never ever expected it to happen now and in the way it did, but I'm very grateful. I'm really looking forward to the journey ahead. I must say, I am a huge fan of telling stories and I know the impact that music has had on my life, so I'm hoping that I could have an impact on someone else's life with my music career."
