One of Namibia’s leading Kwaito stars, Morocky Mbwaluh, aka The Dogg, has published his autobiography titled,Ther Dogg: Untold Story. As part of the reading culture campaign launched by the New Era Publication Corporation (NEPC) in conjunction with the Minister of Education, Honourable Dawid Namwandi last year, Artlife has been serialising this autobiography each Friday.
As a Christian, I deeply sense a need to acknowledge and thank my Creator for not only blessing me with this talent, but also laying down a platform for me to showcase it. Above all else, God is mighty. My late parents conceived me, and I have embraced this fact even though they passed on before I could bond with them. Being an orphan makes you appreciate the gift of life even more. I will forever be grateful to them. I also deeply appreciate the name they gave me, Morocky. The name is quite unique and beautiful. To date, I still have to find someone who shares that name with me.
It is true that their absence does inspire me to greater heights. When you do not have parents, you tend to work harder to succeed because there is no one to fall back on. It is natural to become complacement when your needs are satisfied. I say this with the deepest appreciation for my uncle who has been a rock of guidance, and constant father figure in my life. Uncle Vilho filled the void left by my late parents. What he has done for me would be too long to list on paper. I am, however, compelled to acknowledge and highlight some of his actions that stand out. If there was a way to satisfactorily thank someone for feeding and clothing you, I would surely ensure my uncle is properly thanked. Anyone can claim to be able to raise a child, but doing it with unconditional love is quite another matter. I have never doubted his affection for me. To Uncle Vilho, I was just one of his children- he ensured I never felt inferior to his biological children in any way. To him, we were all his children, period. He raised an extended family. Today, I am able to work and deal with people from various backgrounds in business and the music industry, partly because an extended family continually exposes you to various characters early on.
Teaching and guidance were in abundance in my upbringing- thanks to my uncle’s high moral standards. Discipline was high on the agenda. All who misbehaved where made to realise their wrongdoing and were punished. We may have our differences on certain matters, but that is normal in life. I take my hat off to this man and wish him a long and healthy life. My uncle did not only take me in but also took in my brother and sisters before they later had to relocate and live with my mother in Windhoek.That is why their stay with Uncle Vilho was short-lived, and mine, on the other hand, prolonged as I remained in Onayena village with him. My sisters are both special in the unique way that we relate to one another. What differentiates my relationship with Magano from anyone else in this world is the fact that we are the only siblings from our late parents. We are from the same parents and, naturally, this makes her the closest person to me. She has been a major influence in my life as a person, and the artist that I have become. She is one of the very few people who will always call me whenever there is something about me in the media, be it positive or negative. She is one person that fully understands me. I think this is why she is able to deal with me when I am depressed, stressed or just going through a rough patch.
Magano has this calming effect on me. It’s not far-fetched to think she’s sometimes played the role of a mother figure in my life. When I entered the music industry, things were not so easy, and her assistance in so many ways helped me overcome a lot of obstacles. I did not have a bank account of my own when I started singing, and Magano was not going to allow me to operate my business without one. She made this clear and soon I had a bank account. Her involvement does not end on a personal level but also stretches into some aspects of my career.
As for Ndiina, she is business-oriented and very straightforward. She is always busy and does not appear to have time for chit-chat, but every once in a while, she will call to ask how you are doing and hear if everyone is doing well. This is good, considering she lives in the UK.Her business mentality runs over into other spheres of her life: this is a quality I admire in her. There are times when she calls and asks how I am dealing with my finances, and this is normally followed by advice and encouragement on how I should save. She appears to have strong business principles that I can learn from. Given our circumstances, I did not have the opportunity to spend much time with her and develop a bond as strong as I think we should have had. This saddens me. I love her very much.
Bruce is quite frank. When he calls, it is normally just to see if you are doing fine. The brotherhood between us has always remained intact. There is so much love we feel for each other, and he is the kind of person who is normally prepared to come in to render help when he sees a problem. He has released his first album as well. He is good, but any thoughts of us competing are misguided. The way I see it, I can only compete with myself. There is no competition with any other artist, especially since my music has evolved from hard-core Kwaito to mix up with other genres, such as Rave, House and Hip Hop, to produce a uniquely distinctive sound.
On March 5, 2006, I received my biggest award ever. I named it Magano. My daughter represents the biggest award I have ever received in my entire life as a person and musician. This is the award that makes me work harder and the one that keeps me focused as an artist. She lives in Swakopmund with my sister, the other Magano. There are times when I drive to fetch her so that she can spend some time with me. The distance does not bother me at all. It is my observation that a lot of young men my age are caught up in so many other activities, making no time for their offsprings. Growing up without your biological parents helps you realise the significance of the parents-child relationship. I think this has also helped make me the father I am today. I take pride in my responsibilities as a father to my lovely daughter.
My daughter is a symbol of happiness in me. She is too peaceful for me to give her anything less than a smile. I cannot even bring myself to look at her when I have verbal fights with her mother. Her presence reflects so much joy and love that I have yet to find elsewhere on this planet. Her mother, Nomvula, gave me the award. She stands out as a mother. Her love and affection for me and our daughter manifests in the way she treats us. It gives me priceless peace of mind when my daughter is in the presence of her caring mother.
My relationship with Nomvula has not been stable enough though. It has hit the rocks several times, but I still appreciate the fact she never let our conflicts interfere with parental responsibilities. In a relationship that constantly has arguments and disagreements, one can sometimes lose sight of the things that matter. Parental love is one such thing that a child ought to be entitled to.
There is no doubt in my mind that Ms. Hilma Kathiindi is more than just a teacher to me. She was my primary school teacher at Onayena, from Grade 4 to 6. To this day, I still regard her highly and usually make time to see her whenever I am at the village. The learners at Onayena Primary are fortunate to still have her teaching at the school. When I talk of mother figures in my life, the names worth mentioning in the same breath are Ms. Kathiindi, Meme Aina Kalambi and Meme Ester Matengu. They have helped provide me with valuable guidance.
When I was chased out of the Augustineum hostel, Uncle Natangwe was prepared to take me in. His house was fully occupied, so the next person to join the family would have to settle for the kitchen as a bedroom. He sacrificed his convenience and that of his immediate family to let me occupy that space of his house. I will forever be grateful to him for this selfless act. I think he truly loved me and wanted the best for me. As far as I can remember, he introduced the concept of pocket money to me. Monthly pocket money was a foreign idea to me. Not once had anyone before him given me pocket money. The only way I had access to money for myself was through stealing. During the time that I spent at Uncle Natangwe’s house, I had some guidance back in my life again. (Till next Friday for the last instalment)