As long as Namibian musicians don’t return the enthusiasm radio presenters exhibit towards Namibian music, Namibian music will remain irrelevant.
I say this because Namibian musicians simply do not know their radio presenters. Namibian musicians don’t respect their radio presenters. Namibian musicians don’t care about their radio presenters. Radio presenters to Namibian musicians are what money is to Savva, vokol! My sentiments were recently once again strengthened. Talking some industry politics with Antonia at his famous kea shop, Karabo, the oviritje powerhouse, swings by, greets Antonio and just stands there looking at me. So I’m thinking to myself…ok this is odd right? In the Namibian way of living, when you arrive at a place and you find the person you know with someone or people that you don’t know, you still greet everyone. Antonio notices that Karabo is not extending pleasantries to me and immediately Antonio asks her: “Do you know this man?” Karabo replies candidly… “No”. So I chip in and introduce myself and she still had no idea who I was. So Antonio chips in and says…”NSK is very important to your industry, you must know him from now onwards”. She replies,”We Herero artists only know Herero Djs”.
This was sad and worrisome on so many levels. Truth of the matter is, many of the musicians have the same mentality as that of Karabo. She is literally just the tip of the iceberg. Here is someone as influential as Karabo in the Oviritje space who is bordering flat-out on tribalism and ignorance. The funny thing is, during my days at Energy100fm, I would play her music. I would play her music and either forward sell or back sell her brand with such enthusiasm. How on earth do we expect the rest of her followers not to have the same attitude? How on earth do we expect the rest of the acts in the Oviritje space not to have the same attitude? The fact that she does not know me is what I have been saying all along. Those Namibian musicians demand this constant help and favours from radio presenters but do not even have the decency to know who we are and support what we do as brands. There are some artists who until today have the guts to call me and ask me “Etse omes, are you still at Energy? Where are you now huka?” And then still have the nerve to want to proceed to talk about their grand new single. Are you serious?
You cannot be a Namibian musician in today’s day and age of Harambee and want to say you only know Herero Djs. In a country as small as ours, how on earth do you want to primitively limit yourself like that? One Blood taught us a very important lesson. One Blood taught us that music breaks down all borders. One Blood had this whole country dancing to an Oviritje song. Had One Blood limited themselves to only “Herero Djs”, do you think their brand would’ve had the success it had last year? Namibian musicians need to understand that radio presenters do not sit in that ‘oh so important chair’ to please their egos. Radio presenters sit in that chair to bring content to listeners that will inform, entertain and positively influence society.
So if Namibian musicians continue with this arrogance towards radio presenters, they will eventually move on from giving a rat’s ass and focus on content. Content that may not necessarily include Namibian music. Namibian musicians anyways catch feelings if you report on their work. It goes both ways ousi! Have the decency to know who your radio presenters are. It won’t take you an arm and a leg. You literally just have to switch on the radio. If you do not have enthusiasm for your radio presenter, please do not expect the same enthusiasm in return.
Until the next loop, we say “GMTM”!
NSK is a professional MC. For bookings, email naobebsekind@gmail.com
@naobebsekind (twitter)