10 Minutes with Local Tastemakers: The Ell's

You can trust that it’s going to be one magnificent party when The Ell's show up, djembe and acoustic guitar in tow, and a procession of friends, fans and followers shaking the duo’s hands as they make their way to the stage. Over the span of eight years, Artwell (Slickartie) Neusul and Emmanuel (Manny) Ndifon - who hail their stage name from the “el” at the end of both their names - have built a business on good vibes.

Covering music from a laundry list of genres, they are the kind of live music act that will have you jumping to your feet to sing along to favourites, yet also, as I encountered most recently, silently weeping at a cover of James Blunt’s You’re Beautiful. This dynamic nature is credited by a soulful, African music influenced Slickartie on the djembe, paired with a lively, indie influenced Manny on the guitar. They have dubbed the genre Frodie, short for Afro-Indie. Dynamite does indeed come in small packages, as this two-man-band proves time and time again.

It’s taken them the better half of a decade to release original music on streaming platforms. Not that The Ell's haven’t been writing, testing and tuning their original sound at live gigs up to this point. Habitual audiences of their live music shows know all the words to the handful of their own music, and other local bands have begun covering their songs. Then on a fateful Wednesday evening in June 2024, The Ell's held a listening party for their very first EP titled KAPITAL Ells With the release of these five songs, along with a few single releases prior, they are geared up for the next phase of their music careers; touring and playing original sounds deeply inspired by life, love and legacy in Namibia. KAPITAL Ells, whic is available on music streaming platforms, is equal parts groovy, easy listening and up-beat tunes destined to breed a catchy earworm. Slickartie’s soulful and raspy voice blends beautifully with Manny’s melancholic, ballad sound. While the songs on this EP are a slight departure from their usual two instrument live sets, filled with more robust musical elements, their unique sound shines through in every tune

Our collective live music scene has taken its fine time to grow to this point in time, where local artists like The Ell's can be fully booked weeks in advance. Namibian musicians, more often than not, play gigs as a side hustle. Slickartie and Manny have managed to make The Ell's their bread and butter, however long it took to get to the point where their other undertakings are the side hustles.

The duo credits their very Namibian way of marketing for this stage of their recognition. Word of mouth has been the primary way of getting their name out there. But it’s not just the all encompassing “The Ell's are playing” when you’re discussing plans with friends, that contributes to their success. It is, in great part, also due to their approachable personalities and that no two Ell's sets are the same. While they are the first port of call for any restaurant or event planning to host live music, Slickartie and Manny remain humble, friendly, funny and professional. And after their long tenure in the small yet growing industry, where you would expect the novelty of their performances to wear off, The Ell's constantly bring fresh sound to every set.

They are the kind of live music act that will have you jumping to your feet to sing along to favourites.

There is a unique strain of genius to their crowd pleasing abilities. “We might be playing background music at a restaurant, and I see a few people tapping their feet under the table, or older gentleman peeling away from conversation to give us a double thumbs-up” says Slickartie, who reads the room with a fine tuned eye, while simultaneously smacking the djembe. Constantly vibe checking the audience is one piece of the puzzle. Then Slickartie and Manny speak only through sixth sense, and the other one knows what's up. The Ell's will then switch up the pace to accommodate the crowd, and play a cover that, even after seeing them live about a dozen times, you haven’t heard before. It’s this nature that has event planners calling them back, time and time again. You simply cannot grow tired of them.

In October this year The Ell's are taking to the road on a two week tour through Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia as they make their way to their first big-time festival gig on Lake Malawi. “Are we just big fish in a small pond, or is this the truth, that we can expand internationally?” says Manny of the journey to the UMP Festival. The time has come for The Ell's to venture beyond the borders of Namibia, where they are a household name, to explore the possibility of their music resonating with a wider audience. Sharing their sound with a completely different crowd has the undeniable potential to open many more doors, not just for The Ell's, but Namibian acoustic and indie music as a whole.

With unwavering support from our nation, The Ell's are currently in the top 20 for the esteemed KORA Awards. Hoping to claim the “Best Traditional Music” title, Slickartie jokingly says “we would want to put the award in town square or some public space, for everyone to witness it” not as a show-off, but because winning such a respected award would be thanks to the Namibian people. The long list of fans and followers that back this charismatic band do so because they truly deserve every applause. Not only would this win be major for The Ell's as artists, but it certainly paves the way for other bands from the land of the brave, proving to the world what we already knowthat Namibian musicians are the ones to watch.

Charene Labuschagne

The images in this feature were created for FlyNamibia Magazine by Venture Media. Thank you to Brewers Market for opening their location for this photoshoot.