Life of a musician becomes hard, especially in Namibia, where survival and consistency are key when fame alone cannot feed you with the country’s current laws.
Fame has become an addiction in itself when not carefully guided and treated with utmost respect. One such case is Robert Oitsile, also known as Ander Donkey, who steadily rose to fame with his smash hit in 2009 and won the 2010 NAMAs MA/GAISA award, then blissfully disappeared from the scene. “Fame took me by surprise, and I ended up leaving an irresponsible lifestyle. I became a heavy drinker. That’s when I went out of the limelight, alcohol addiction took control of me, I ended up drinking tombo I went down to zero. I would dance and sing for N$1 just to be able to buy a tombo skaal. It was a sad and shameful stage of my life,” he explained.
From the age of eight, he started learning how to play musical instruments, for which he is celebrating 36 years of musical journey and experience. “In 1998, I met with my nephew, the late legendary musician Sebulon “Axue”, may his soul rest in peace. They were having a band called Rajisa where I joined as a keyboard player and that’s when I met with recently late legendary drummer Mr. Siefried ‘Ou Jomo’ may he rest in peace,” he said.
“In 2003, I released my first double album, which I named ‘Billiami tsi donkieb’ and ‘Daai
storie’.
That’s when my music career as a professional artist started. I became known by the donkey song, and the people called me “Ou Donkey”, and it later became my stage name. In 2005, I released another album called I’m not a Donkey,” he added.
Oitsile said the Ander Donkey album was very successful, it made him famous as he performed in almost all towns and stages around the country. After a whirlwind in what he describes as a tumultuous time in his life, he found God in 2014. “In 2016, God called me into Evangelism, and I became a full-time missionary worker. As an Evangelist and a missionary, I have seen God changing and touching people’s lives through my outreach Crusades in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa,” he said.
The award-winning artist is set to make a comeback with his first show this weekend for the Donkey Meat Festival in Gobabis. “I got an invitation from Ore-Aob Music //Khoab as they have planned a tour with the Donkey Meat Festival, which will be in Gobabis, Swakopmund, Khorixas, Grootfontein and Windhoek, where they will all have live band performances,” he said.
Event organiser Shandre-Crystal Feris said the idea behind the Donkey Meat Festival was born from a desire to celebrate and preserve our local culture while also creating opportunities for community development. “In many parts of Namibia, donkey meat is not only a traditional food source but also part of our heritage that is often overlooked or misunderstood,” she said.
“Ander Donkey’s return to the stage came about through mutual understanding and respect for his personal journey. Since turning to his Christian faith, he has been very intentional about the kind of environment and message he associates himself with,” she said.
The organizers had open and honest discussions with him to ensure that his values align with the vision of the festival. “The Donkey Meat Festival is not just about entertainment, but also about community, culture and positive impact, which made it possible for him to feel comfortable being part of the lineup again,” said Feris.
Ander Donkey last year released an album titled ‘ǀā ǂûi’, which means squeeze out, which he is busy promoting and marketing. Talent and gifts come from God, so I realized that I have to balance and do music, which is my talent, as well as Evangelism, which is the gift of God.
Ander Donkey fans can expect a donkey Music Entertainment. I’m ready to be on stage and I am also open for bookings for any musical events and occasions. I am loaded with lots of good and great music, so fans can expect new music, but for now let’s ǀā ǂûi,” he concluded.