Renowned Namibian musician Lazarus Shiimi, popularly known as Gazza, has announced that his upcoming album titled ‘The Legacy’, will be his final release.
To celebrate this milestone, Gazza is inviting visual artists from all walks of life to participate in a competition where their artwork will be featured as the album cover.
In an interview with VIBEZ!, Gazza clarified that while this marks his last album he is not retiring from music.
“Music is me, and I’m music. It’s impossible to separate me from music,” he said.
Going forward, Gazza plans to release individual songs rather than full-length albums, adapting to the fast-changing music landscape.
The competition, Gazza emphasised, is a part of his commitment to give back to the Namibian people, regardless of their social or economic status. By providing a platform for emerging artists to showcase their talent on a global scale, he aims to support and expose them to a broader audience.
The winner will walk away with N$5 000, a free ticket to the Milli concert, and GMP merchandise (cap and T-shirt); second place will walk away with N$1 000 and GMP merchandise; and third place will walk away with N$800 and a T-shirt.
Speaking on the selection process for the album cover, Gazza revealed that the public will play a pivotal role. The competition will be conducted through his social media platforms, allowing followers and fans to vote for their favourite submissions. This interactive approach will ensure that the final artwork resonates with Gazza’s supporters.
“What I hope artists will gain from participating in this competition is more than prize money; it’s exposure to a wider audience.
My posts can sometimes reach more than a million people if they’re interesting enough, and I hope that, on its own, will have an impact on their sector because they are so talented but not really seen,” he said.
When asked about the criteria for the album cover submissions, he expressed openness to various artistic styles and themes. He encouraged artists to be creative and authentic, highlighting that the chosen artwork should capture the essence of ‘The Legacy’ and resonate with the Namibian spirit and it can be enhanced digitally.
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