Levite`s CD Review: Saved By Grace 

By Staff Writer

news@exposenewspaper.com

Anointed Namibian gospel artist, Levite (Lukas Haufiku), impressed many with the release of his hot beats and lyrically powerful 15-track debut album titled “Saved By Grace”. Exposé caught up with Levite to learn more about his first album that everyone seems to be talking about.

“Saved by grace is more of a project rather than an individual artist,” says Levite. “It’s a project very close to my heart. I’m alive today because of his grace, if it were not for His grace; 17 March this year could have been the end of my life and/or fiancée’s when we were involved in a freak car accident. It’s the first born of many more albums to come, and I’m pleased to say the next project is already taking shape.”

As an international music lover, I’ve had the pleasure of listening to a lot of music from different genres. I particularly found this album very interesting and enjoyable that I couldn’t stop listening to it. The album has something for everybody; from the young to the old, devoted Christians to non-devoted Christians, believers to non-believers. You will all enjoy the mellow and upbeat songs on the album. Listening to this album, I experienced all sorts of good emotions; I danced, I laughed, I cried, I learned, you name it. A lot of songs on this album have become personal favorites. Levite was kind enough to help me understand the songs I fell in love with:

The album begins with a beautiful worship song called “Ileni” (“come” in Oshiwambo). Levite explained that “This song is based on Psalm 95:1 “O come, let us sing to the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of your salvation.” Ileni is a traditional chorus sang by the various ethnic group of Namibia and has been passed down from one generation to the next.”

Levite was inspired to do Ileni because “it’s a popular chorus amongst Namibians in general and it carries a message that invites people to come closer and make a joyful noise unto the Lord.”

“Otjo (Osho) means “it is so, and as in Romans 1:16, I’m emphasizing the fact that I’m not ashamed of the Gospel nor am I ashamed to dance for my Father who is the creator of dance. The moral of the track is finding out if one would choose between Ignoring and dancing for the Lord.”

“Hold On” featuring Wyna, Namakau, Prime Minister and Jerry Radix. Levite wrote this track because “I was the one going through the fire (challenges) in my faith, it was a hard time but as King David did, I encouraged myself in the Lord because I know the Lord hasn’t brought me this far to leave me, and giving up is not an option.”

In another hot track on the album titled “ON My Own” Levite is giving credit where credit is due, and that giving it all unto God, “I acknowledge the fact that all that I am is because God Is, and if it were not for Him, I won’t have accomplished all that I have in my life, as a matter of fact I wouldn’t even be.”

Levite strikes me as someone who is bold and straightforward, and not ashamed or afraid to spread the gospel in all corners of the earth. How did he end up like this I wondered, “I should say (gospel group) Cross Movement and Family played a big role in shaping my life and this project because I love their unwavering stance when it comes to the gospel. I don’t try to substitute the name of Jesus with any other of His name, because I know Jesus is the name many don’t want to hear in a song, but if I try to compromise on the name that I live for, then, I would rather just drop my mic.”

In Namibia, the "We Are Marching" song is currently the most popular Levite song. This song “we are marching in the light of God” is a known Namibian traditional Christian chorus. It’s one of the tracks he recorded in the infant stages of this album. In this song, Levite is “taking pleasure in the fact that we have enlisted in the Lord’s army.”

“Oipango Yoye” is a hit song! According to Levite, “Oipango is also a traditional Oshiwambo chorus, and talks about the ten commandments of God and the fact that I broke them, and that I need the Lord’s mercy.”  Interestingly, the lady singing the hook in this song, Ole, is Tswana and does not speak Oshiwambo, but with some guidance, she was able to pull it off with ease.

Ever heard of hardcore gospel rap/hip-hop track? Listen to this song and your mouth will be left wide open; speechless. “CHURCH BOY” is a gospel rap/hip-hop song at its best. Levite was inspired to do this song because “I grew up listening to R & B and Hip-Hop tracks and a whole lot of them had women as a focal point, which degraded and demeaned them. And it even gets so sad when you hear female MCs following the trend set by their male counterparts and joining in the band wagon of cursing themselves out and demeaning themselves. I have heard tracks like: Move your body like a snake, Belly dancer, Hot In here, Players Club and a whole host of crazy tracks. I, at one point, took pride in those tracks too, but now that I know better, I retaliated by saying that I’m none of those things and if you want to name me anything, rather call me CHURCH BOY.”

Levite displayed his humility during this interview when he said “I want to conclude with this words by Trip-Lee, from his track Superstar, “I don`t want the spotlight, It`s not right, I`m not tight, I rep Him when I rock mics (Philippians 1:21).”

Well, I guess that says it all then. Whoever said gospel music is boring definitely needs to hear this cd by Levite. Try the album; it’s hot and I’m sure it will truly bless your heart and that of your friends and family. The album is available at Universal Sounds in Windhoek, Namibia, internationally online as downloads on www.shop.exposenewspaper.com. To learn more about Levite, visit his website at: www.myspace.com/levite