By Frederick Philander WINDHOEK The NBC on Friday announced the staging of a benefit concert for Namibian musicians as part of the Independence celebrations at the end of March at the Sam Nujoma Stadium in Katutura. The national broadcaster has invited interested artists of all music genres to participate in the concert, which is sponsored by two local insurance companies. “No celebration in Namibia is complete without music. The NBC feels that the 17th Independence celebration should be complemented with a concert celebrating Namibian artists by giving them due recognition and encouraging them to leap for greater heights,” a statement released to the press said. The NBC pointed out that the days when non-Namibian artists reigned supreme are gone for good. “Namibian artists have stepped to centre stage and they have stormed the airwaves. This concert is aimed at supporting the fledgling music industry and to help raise financial resources for Namibian artists. In this respect, all gate takings will be equally shared among participating artists,” the statement said. It was formally announced that Windhoek-based artists will receive a flat fee of N$800 and outsiders N$1ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 200 in respect of transport, accommodation and meals during the concert. “Like every patriotic Namibian, Nedbank believes that the Independence anniversary should be a time of celebration and merriment, but also a time of reflection on the contributions one can still make to the cause of the Namibian nation,” said Gernot de Klerk, the manager of public relations and corporate social investment of Nedbank on behalf of the MD of the company, Bill Turton. A combined sponsorship of N$130ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 000 was given to the NBC by Old Mutual, Nedbank and Mutual & Federal.