2018-07-25Staff Report 2 Clemans Miyanicwe WINDHOEK - Two of Namibia’s well known artists shared their life stories at the 2018 Kunene Youth Motivational Series recently at the Cornelius Goreseb High School in Khorixas. Kalux, who is the Male Artist of Year, told the gathering comprising Grade 10 and 12 pupils his dream of becoming a musician was not easy. “After my dad was transferred to Otjiwarongo, I could not continue with school while I passed Grade 10 because of finance,” Kalux said to a loud applause from the youths. Kalux who was part of a music group at school revealed that he was a street kid for years before working on a farm in Otjiwarongo for three years getting N$160. He was the youngest of the farm workers. The Ra- #Nau hit maker says one day, a voice spoke to him that music was his thing. “I wanted to be on Damara/Nama radio but nobody believed me and after a while I went to a studio in Otjiwarongo, questioned why a guy from an informal settlement will do music.” Amid laughter, Kalux says a girl he proposed to at school told him that she wanted to meet him after a show where he performed. Kalux says after winning the Best Newcomer award, he kept going and today he is Male Artist of the Year. “It does not matter where you come from. If they discourage you they are lying,” Kalux emphasises. He motivates the pupils that education is the key and that they should remember that with God everything is possible. “Let’s not smoke. High school kids are the biggest smokers. It’s about your health, if you are not healthy there is no way you can come to school,” Kalux advises. After five years, Kalux wants to see some of the learners as lecturers at the Vocational Training Centre at Khorixas. Gazza, one of Namibia’s best-selling artists, says he asked himself what he can say after listening to stories of various speakers. “I called my second (music) project Zula to Survive, everything previous speakers spoke about was there and it was a very successful album that won awards,” Gazza says. Everything other speakers said about he was there such as drugs and alcohol abuse, he was part of it and he is an orphan too. “To eat in the street, I was there. People throw things in a dustbin I ate. Every day we came up with new tactics to get food (from the dustbin),” Gazza said. Gazza said that he does not settle for second best and he does not plan to be a second best as he does not plan to lose but he plans to win. Gazza spoke about pretending to study thinking he was fooling his grandmother but said he indeed was fooling himself. He told the attendees that he looked after his brother’s bar for a year as he was told that tertiary fees will be paid but was disappointed as it never done and with N$150-00 he travelled to Cape Town where he registered at Boston Business School, by just telling the principal his story. When Namibian students go to Cape Town, he was that guy who was always there. “Nothing is impossible. Never settle for the second best,” Gazza said. “I got negative publicity in the media and lot of artists left my music label. It (music) is a very dirty politic and I was not even getting booked for gigs,” Gazza said. “No matter what they say Iam gonna make it. With Ondjila I looked at my journey, I won awards and with my tenth album, I was a Messi.” With Pumumu, Gazza said that album gained recognition and big names in the music industry such as South African artist Emtee and Nigerian superstar Davido started recognising him and asked to be featured on his songs. Both artists advice pupils that circumstances they might be in should not limit them from achieving their dreams. 2018-07-25Staff Report 2
