Veteran musicians reflect achieving sustainability

VETERAN musician Ras Sheehama said there is no music industry in Namibia, and despite a few good years “here and there”, making music has been a struggle since independence.

Speaking to Desert Radio on Friday, the City Young Girl singer said artists simply do not have the buying power to make them rich, and they should stop comparing themselves to artists across the continent.

“In Tanzania, the people are supportive, they dont hate themselves and they are not tribal.

“When they see Diamond will have a concert at the stadium, 25 000 people will go out there. How much money will he come out with from only those 25 000?”

Yellow Solo, who spent a decade in France, says getting a recording studio to mix music was nice, but the hard work lies in marketing ones music.

He believes going abroad is not the golden ticket many think it is, especially if one comes from an English-speaking country to a French-speaking one, where you have to jump language hurdles before you actually get to push your craft.

“You dont have that francophone in you and you have to just connect with these guys. In France, underground music has different levels but since Covid-19 came in, we were blocked,” Yellow Solo said.

Namibian Society of Composer and Authors of Musics John Max says many artists didnt receive direct support as agreed with the arts ministry, however, he believes artists must learn that they are in business and should not rely on the government.

“They must work hard, try to market themselves and be successful in their career.

“We have artists such as painters and photographers who make good money. If you make arts in a small market like Namibia, you must learn to strategise and research how other artists sustain themselves,” he says.

Pioneering Oshiwambo rapper Shikololo says hes never been overly concerned with marketing, rather he made music for the love of it, and this is what fans connected with.

“In our days there were many different ways, some of our music was different, not just popular but rather giving out messages, and we were put down because of these messages.

“Some people in the industry dont want those messages. They want to control us, but we have principles and are loyal to what we believe.”

Known as one of the most talented rappers in the country, Exile debuted in the music industry with The Kalaharians, and says artists must know that they dont only have a responsibility to make music but about the reputation they build.

“The fan base is there and you cannot ignore them. We must remember that most of our money is produced by shows. There is no way that we can sell CDs door-to-door, everything is digital.” – unWrap.online