Jaenique Swartz  

The immersive captivity music garners are a true testament that sound in any form is art – and that anyone, regardless of age, can be drawn in. That was the story of Charl Eugene Vries, alias Ou Slow.  

The young muso has always felt a strong connection to music, recalling times when he would watch musical shows on television every day because he was never allowed to leave the house much.

  “That’s how I started playing the guitar, I pointed out the guitar to my parents and my stepfather, who always wanted to play the piano but never got a chance to, so he got me my first guitar when I was 12, that is when I discovered AC/DC band, who influences me to this day, and that is how my love for music grew,” he said.

  Even though he had a passion for music, his journey has not been easy, as he found himself in difficult circumstances, having dropped out of college due to complications that halted his pursuit of higher education and having both his parents unemployed resulted in him having to pave a way to rise above the challenges.

“I went through so much in 2021 when I decided to leave home with my guitar and work, every day basking in Zoo Park. I made around N$220 every day for about six months in 2021, and I kept this up and had a lot of growth,” Vries explained.  

He recalls being judged and insulted for how he was perceived: “I would go up to people and ask them if I could sing for them, and some insulted me because my clothes at that point were not always clean, as I owned one pair of jeans. 

“I was also about eight months into my freeform dreadlock journey at the time, so my hair looked grungy, which influenced how people viewed me”.

He says one of his greatest challenges as a solo act was coping with all the pressure and work that needed to be done. 

When he started playing in town in mid-2021, he found himself battling loneliness and thoughts of hopelessness. 

It felt like he was taking on the world alone. He frequently found himself crying as a way to release all of the fear and anxiety he was experiencing at the time.  

There is beauty in the struggle: Vries emphasises the immense sadness and anxiety he faced as a solo act, and not being able to secure gigs or getting a good phone for managing media.

 “Whenever the sun would set, I would be so sad because families would start leaving the park, and I remember thinking, ‘Everybody is going home now and I don’t even have a home to go home to’. Oftentimes, I wanted to give up, but music kept me going,” he said. 

He notes the factors that pushed him besides the music was seeing the growth of his dreadlocks: “Seeing them grow from nothing and completely on their own made me aware that there can be growth without even noticing it, so I had a lot of hope”.

  Vries accumulated quite the audience, as he has been featured on ‘Sweety Sweety’ and ‘Prisoner’ on Kimzala’s ‘Switch of Lanes’. He also did a few shows for Lize Elhers’ ‘Song Night’ and other gatherings. 

He would release covers on YouTube that got him a wider audience.  

The young star is set to release new music in early 2024 alongside his band members, telling the story of how they came to be.

“I think our music industry lacks funding and sponsorships; getting sponsorships proves futile in some instances. It would be nice if our country could cultivate a support system to back up musicians. Namibia is not that big; we could all be put on a platform and work together to represent our country to the world.”

  He furthermore said he believes versatility is what is lacking within the music industry, saying the current music being pushed out has more to do with making money and being accepted in the industry. 

“We should improve our versatility, our collaboration, our support to each other in the industry and the funding aspects.”

 Vries encourages artists to truly find themselves and their motives before trying to navigate the industry. 

“Nothing can really prepare you for what it takes to be a full-time musician when you are just starting; it is a lot of being broke and sacrificing your time. You really need to hone your craft every day.”

- jaeniqueswartz@icloud.com