Jeremiah Ndjoze
They say, ‘a prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.’ But the same cannot be said for award-winning musician, Kalux, real name Sakarias Kalunga who seems to be having the time of his life.
As if riding the tide of the Namibia Music Awards (NAMAs) Male Artist of the Year is not enough, last week residents of Zebra Street in the north central town of Outjo will have to change their addresses with the road having been renamed Sakarias Kalux Kalunga street, honoring one of the town’s most celebrated natives. And at 28 years of age, this makes Kalux one of the youngest Namibian socialites to receive such an honor after the 2013 renaming of Fiskaal Street in Walvis Bay’s Kuisebmond suburb, after the Paralympic gold medalist, Johanna Benson. She was 22 years old at the time.
The musician describes the experience as nothing short of humbling. “It came as a pleasant surprise. I never in my wildest dreams expected that to happen but I guess when you fight to do better in life, without necessarily thinking about recognition, the right people tend to notice your efforts,” Kalux says. He maintains that in light of his humble beginnings, and the fact that he has only been active in the music industry for about four years, this recognition is an indication that the sky is not even the limit for young Namibians. “Most streets across the country are named after our political leaders, or departed heroes of the liberation struggle. As such, it is motivating to see that the face of inspiration is somehow changing, and this will hopefully enable our fellow young people to realise that there is a star in all of us,” Kalux says.
An Outjo native who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity welcomes the renaming of the street in celebration of the music star’s triumphs. “I consider an honorable man to be someone who is kind, has both dignity and grace, makes an honest living, is compassionate, responsible for his own actions, trustworthy and keeps his promises. Even though I don’t know Kalux personally, I have noticed some of these attributes in him from afar,” the native says.
Outjo mayor, Samuel !Oe-Amseb, on Friday announced the names of six people the municipality found befitting to be named for the town’s feeder streets. The six were Kalux, vice president Nangolo Mbumba, the late Kunene governor Angelika Muharukua, first Kunene governor, Ernst Fanuel Amporo, the late NBC staffer Salmon Salath //Hoëseb, and Dr Japie van Zyl, a specialist in scientific space knowledge, also from Outjo.