The melodious sounds of symphonic street music will fill the air on Saturday, as 80 children and youth from multiple orchestras and groups will be performing at the Old Mutual Towers along Independence Avenue in Windhoek. 

The event dubbed Busk-a-Thon is organised by Youth Orchestras of Namibia (Yona) to raise funds for Yona’s continued operations.

It further aims to allow young musicians to perform and raise public awareness about Yona, and give the public an enjoyable experience of listening to street music.

Drawing inspiration from the street musicians in Europe, Gretel Coetzee, the director of Yona, explained that this event will add so much atmosphere to the city when there is live music happening as people walk by. 

This provides up-and-coming musicians an opportunity to earn some money, and it also brings so much joy to the community.

“Most of our students cannot afford lesson fees, and we pay tuition fees, instrument rental and service, transpor, and food. Yona is a home away from home, where these children feel a sense of belonging. Through the learning experiences at Yona, they are empowered to make better life choices,” she said.

Scheduled for 10h00 to 14h00, the event promises to be a fun morning for the whole family. The musicians will play music ranging from classical to jazz, and also some traditional Namibian folk songs. 

Yona is a registered non-profit organisation with the vision of social change through music. 

“We are very thankful to our corporate donors RMB, through the FirstRand Namibia Foundation Trust, B2Gold, Stichting Horizon, the National Arts Council and Gondwana Care Trust. However, Yona has been growing so much, and our expenses have risen dramatically. That is why we also want to make a big effort to raise funds from our side. 

We hope that we will also encourage other corporates to join the ranks of Yona’s sponsors. But mostly, we want to simply share our love for music with the Windhoek public,” said Coetzee.  -priscillamukokobi@gmail.com