By Selma Neshiko
WINDHOEK– Way back, the music industry had almost an equal number of male and female artists IS THAT TRUE???? but slowly female artists started to vanish leaving male artists to dominate the local music scene.
While some female artists remain quiet, others want a breakthrough for female artists in the industry. One of those is, female rapper, Bella Harris, who believes that there are plenty of talented female singers, rappers and producers out there and the fact that they are countable proofs that female artists need to step up their game. “We need to kill this assumption that we’re not strong enough, lyrically and delivery wise, to penetrate the industry. We also need to keep the doors open for those coming after us like those that came before us, to keep the female rap game alive,” adds Bella.
Bella admits to challenges, setbacks of making it in the industry. “It’s not easy as it seems. Being a rapper myself, I’ve come across a lot of setbacks and difficulties. I believe that people and not just females, get in the game expecting things to be easy, they’re never prepared for the challenges that come with it, most of them lose hope, determination and motivation when they come across such setbacks, while others settle for soundcloud and seize pursuing their dreams further than that,” she says.
She adds that a lot of females are also not motivated to go out there because there are no rewards in doing music in Namibia. “The Ministry that deals with arts and culture has not been helpful in assisting with the growth of art in the form of music, and that’s why some artists fear meeting a dead end but even so that shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love. We need more females coming out, we need to stand out and showcase our skills in the game because in the long run it will help strengthen our Namibian industry as a whole,” Bella determines.
Bella is signed under Black Cartel Records formally known as Black Widow and just recently wrapped up her first mix-tape package, which she will be releasing in due time.