By Petronella Sibeene WINDHOEK While the music industry has of late maintained a growing audience, Chief Executive Officer of the Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (NASCAM), Max John, has described the industry as “disorganized”. He stressed the need to establish a body that would ensure the industry is in order. According to John, although music has inevitably become an important component of the local people’s lives, the people in the industry have not reached a stage of maturity. He explained that in most cases, events involving the participation of local artists have turned out to be flops, a great indication that there is a need for a body that would bring together all local artists. “The industry is not organized. We need a body that will bring together artists, one that can take proposals to the National Arts Council and Government for policies”, he said. Unlike in the past ten years, local people have shown growing interest in Namibian music, giving the industry a boost that has long been missing. Namibia in the past years has seen drastic growth in this industry. Compared to the year 2005 where there were only 682 registered local artists, this figure has risen to 1ÃÆ’Æ‘ÀÃ…ÃÆ”šÃ‚ 200. John says that, due to the exposure artists receive today, especially from the media, more young people have realized their talents. The most encouraging thing about these artists, he added, is that the country is not just witnessing growth in the number of groups or solo artists, but the quality of Namibian music is attracting consumers. “The interest to sing in the local language and the happenings of the time has also inspired young people, and Namibians in general, because they can easily relate to the music”, he said. In an earlier interview with one of the best local soloists, Faizel Bashir, who was once part of the now dissolved Dungeon Family, there is nothing better than singing in the local language. “Just like South Africans sing in their own languages, so do we. Also, no one can claim that the music is not original or Namibian. As long as the language is local, then the music is local,” he said. Bashir believes the industry has become big compared to what it was five years ago, adding that people today seem to appreciate and admire what is local. “Today in the clubs, when people hear a local song, they jump. There is great potential”, he said. Although artists seem to have attracted the attention of local people, very few of them are known in the international arena. John reiterated the need for a body that would link artists to the outside world. Some people have argued that the reason for lack of international recognition is because the industry lacks good producers and engineers that would ensure the end product is always of international quality. However, John urged musicians to always give of their best and to always regard the product as not only for local consumers, but even beyond. While most Namibians are into the local music, artists struggle to make money to enable them to survive. John explained that most artists do not make money from selling music CDs except when they host live performances. NASCAM’s CEO further called on the business community to consider inviting artists for live performances during events. “Our businesses such as hotels lack that culture of inviting artists to perform”, he lamented. He urged artists to always be creative and original in the products they bring out to the public. Jackson Kaujeua, who has been in the industry for the past four decades, equally acknowledges that the industry is blossoming and becoming more competitive by the day. He sees this as good for Namibia, although he laments that there is not much in terms of profit. “It is a hand-to-mouth situation. I understand the market is small, although the mindset of the buying power matters”, he said. Sharing the same sentiments as NASCAM’s CEO, Kaujeua feels artists are ignorant about their rights such as copyrights as well as marketing strategies. Of late, the industry has become mushroomed by young people. This, according to Kaujeua, has come about due to the influence from computers where youngsters mix up sounds to create a “rhythm”. It takes a lot to compose something of quality. Most of these might fall out the way”, he warned. He appealed to all artists to be cooperative and to always understand what they want to achieve in order for the industry to remain vibrant.