Heather Erdmann
REHOBOTH – A town where culture, heritage and tradition run deep and dreams often get overlooked, Amor McNab (40), a single mother of two, did the impossible and the extraordinary. Within three weeks, this woman showed what it means to dream of a stage and make it a reality.
The young mother, born and raised in Rehoboth, formed and established bonds and connections on which she conceptualised and organised the first-ever Afrikaans Hip-Hop Festival. Initially, McNab wanted to host a gospel show, but soon realised that she first had to start with something different to gain the trust of her beloved community, which she rightfully and successfully earned in the end. When asked why an Afrikaans Hip-Hop Festival and the relevancy thereof, McNab’s answer was simple: “Afrikaans is what they are, and are comfortable with. It’s the easiest way for the guys to express themselves. It’s ingrained in their identity.”
Her dream became a reality in March this year when she put action into motion, and started contacting a list of performers/ artists such as Jericho, Rush, Ixa, Roda Tabakan, Xplicit, G-Twizzy and GSG Nam, just to mention a few.
Long before the dream, McNab got devastating news when she was first diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.
Consequently, she resigned from her 17-year-old job, a journey which she had to end abruptly.
She immediately started with chemotherapy, and for six months, her journey continued. Then she went for an operation, which turned out to be unsuccessful, as there was still an eight-centimetre tumour left behind which radiotherapy couldn’t cure.
She remained unfazed, continuing with her life: “Nothing bothered me because I knew I was not going to die. I just did chemotherapy because the doctor was expecting me to do it.”
Two weeks later, the doctor phoned, and told her to come back as they needed to remove her breast. She refused, and told them to remove her name from
their systems as she was cured by her personal Saviour, God.
For McNab, the festival was more than a dream, it was a personal journey to worship the Lord and to testify of his Greatness.
The process was one of a revival journey, a healing moment as such. When asked about the challenges she faced, she mentioned all the rejections she received from corporate companies, but with a smile.
“It’s okay, because God said yes, and that was all that mattered. I stood for all the costs from the stage, the banners, the printing of the t-shirts and paying everyone involved.
Nothing that could go wrong could deter or break my spirit.”
McNab will continue hosting shows, but on a smaller scale to accommodate the young and raw talent Rehoboth has to offer.
she is humble and expressed that the community came together to make the event successful.
Funny enough, when asked if she’s in any way musically and/or lyrically inclined, the answer was no. “I just enjoy the music for what it is,” she added.
Photo: Heather Erdmann