Arts is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. Furthermore… the arts have various branches of creative activity such as painting, music, literature and dance.
Music is what I’d like to highlight today.
The power of the arts is in full display once again with the passing of Founding President and Father of the Nation, Dr Sam Nujoma. I’ve been keeping a keen eye on the memorial services in honour of the fallen statesman, and one thing is evident, no society can exist without arts.
It is music that comforts mourners at these memorial services. As it always has been. The comfort music provides a mourner in-between the speakers is immense. Sometimes, the speakers themselves break into song. We even witnessed former PLAN combatants sing hymns which kept them going during the brutal days of apartheid. Music is on full display for a man who endured three decades of hardship, fighting an oppressive regime.
If music and by extension arts are seemingly that important… why is it that Namibian society does not respect arts as a profession? Why is it so hard to fathom that music and, by extension, the arts can be a full-time career? Why is it so hard to comprehend that music, and by extension the arts, have the sheer potential to directly tackle the unemployment plague? Why is there no political willpower to invest in music, and by extension arts?
How is it possible that in 2025… in this global dispensation where we see massive economies like South Africa, Nigeria and the West have multi-trillion dollars’ worth of arts industries, somehow we as a Namibian society turn a blind eye to all of that? It’s insane to me how…as a Namibian society, we chuckle at the idea of music and by extension arts being a full-time career, but in the same breath consume foreign music and arts at an alarming rate.
If music and by extension arts were not important as presented by Namibian society… why do we sing at every gathering? Why do we turn to music, and by extension arts for comfort in times of death? Why even allow music activity at the memorial services of the Founding President and Father of the Nation, Dr Sam Nujoma?
Some would point to the fact that we are still a young democracy. With that comes a bit of societal immaturity. South Africa is four years younger than us, and their arts industry was estimated to be worth R161 billion in 2020. That was representing around 3% of the total economic production of South Africa for that year.
There really is no excuse for ignorance. We need to mature as a Namibian society, and we need to do it fast. And we wonder why crime is slowly becoming a problem.
We all know that it is directly proportional to the unemployment issue.
Yet, we crap on the idea of investing in the arts industry. Now, we have a whole generation of Namibians stuck in jobs they hate. Learned colleagues will have you know that it’s probably one of the most dangerous cancers that can eat away at your mental stability. But what do I know, right? I’m mos just Kasongo #NSKanye.
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