Going solo after spending years in a duo or a group of musicians must be the most liberating feeling ever. It’s either that or it should be extremely frightening and intimidating. In the famous words of Nigerian comedian BasketMouth: “There are only two things involved”. We will follow his mantra in unpacking this conversation.
What are the “two things involved” when going solo? It’s either you are the one in the group that always yearned for a solo stint or you are the one who somehow was delusional enough to think that the duo or group setting was forever. The one that always hoped for forever is the one that probably did 4-call in the duo or group. That’s the one who had the biggest mouth but zero work ethic or talent. The one that always hoped for forever is the one that is stuck in the past…always rehashing stories from the good old “glory days”.
The one that always hoped for forever is the one that was always allergic to innovation and change. Always hated new ideas, that’s the one that was always of the opinion that changing things would hurt the sound or dynamics. That’s the one that probably still pokes people on Facebook.
The one that always hoped for forever is the one that gets annoyed at the reality that the rest of the group or duo has to spend more time with family. That one probably does not even have kids. If they have kids, they are absentee parents. Lord knows what on earth they do with their time and money because all they have is this duo or group mos.
That one that always hoped for forever still believes in using the group or duo’s name for clout. The one that always hoped for forever is the one that is most likely struggling right now after the duo or group split.
Struggling to make ends meet. Struggling to churn out any hit. Struggling to shake off destructive addictions. Struggling to get along with the times. Stuck in the hood threatening the upcoming with the “OG” card. Or I could be completely wrong and it may well be that the one that always hoped for a forever is actually now thriving…healthy and well. Or are they?
How about the one that always yearned for a solo stint? What does their reality look like? The one that was overcome with a huge sense of relief and excitement at the parking or cancellation of the duo or group arrangement was probably always ridiculed in the duo or group for their innovative and forward-thinking tendencies.
The one that always yearned for a solo stint was probably always on time for everything. They were always prepared for a studio session or any other business. The one who always yearned for a solo stint was most likely the one handling all logistics in the absence of a manager. This is the one that developed personal relationships with industry peers.
The other was too cool for that. The one that always yearned for a solo stint was low-key, the one with the most talent. That’s the one that helped everyone write. That’s the one who looked at this thing as a business. That’s the one that was always putting out fires. He was the one who the client wanted to converse with because of their level-headed tendencies.
The one that always yearned for a solo stint right now is relevant and thriving. They are performing week in and week out. They’ve got the biggest song on the radio. The media is talking about them. The one that always yearned for a solo stint has more hits than the actual duo or group.
They are balancing both private life and career perfectly fine. They are who people now say…was the Beyonce in the group.
So, look at all of your favourite Namibian duos or groups that either split up or are on a hiatus of some sort and decide the one who always hoped for forever, is delulu and stuck in the past or the one that always yearned for a solo expression.
We undoubtedly had some unbelievably culture-shifting duos and groups in this country. Think about all of them…and let’s debate. Use the hashtag #IndustryLoop on X or Facebook when you share your thoughts.
Until the next Loop, we say #GMTM
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