Julina Kaakunga
Ms Gideon’s single ‘Jehova’ was on Friday crowned Fresh FM’s inaugural Song of the Year (SOTY).
The winner was determined by votes from listeners who voted for their favourite song via the Fresh FM WhatsApp competition line. The other nominees were Mega ft Gazza with ‘Backspin’; Ghetto Ballerina ft Tswazis for ‘Storie lorrie’; Ethnix with ‘Dokota; DJ Yessonia ft Goon Flavour; and Hloni Fela with ‘Dali dali’, Water with ‘Na enjoyment’; Page Ethnix and Champions League DJz with ‘Benefit’; Yeezir with ‘Body do’; Araffath ft Ziki with ‘Omutima’; Epanda Rizzy and Araffath ft Nali Nomatemba with ‘Helele Mama’. Ms Gideon, real name Panduleni Gideon, was presented with a trophy and a return double ticket to any Fly Namibia airline’s local destinations. She also received N$50 000 worth of airtime on Fresh FM to further promote her music.
Framed certificates were handed over to the nominees as recognition for their exceptional contributions to the Namibian music industry. Gideon shared her excitement, saying that before the announcement, she just felt neutral about winning, but was surprised when her name was called.
“I am just happy and honoured that the people chose me because ‘Jehova’ was my first single alone, and I was nominated with all these other talented individuals as well. So, I am really grateful,” she beamed.
Deputy minister of ICT Emma Theofilus, who spoke at the event, said she was delighted that local music industry players have taken this initiative to appreciate local artists and musicians. “I encourage all of those who made this possible to continue to do so,” she noted.
Theofilus added that the government under the banner of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology works with radio and television stations through the broadcasting code to advocate and ensure local content is broadcast more frequently than foreign content, “because if we do not, no one else will. In addition, our artists are so talented that we should be the first to celebrate their talent”.
“I am a firm believer in representation, and if one does not hear or see someone who looks like you on radio or on television, you are unable to be fully-inspired to do incredible things as well. We will all be in this perpetual cycle of being the first and only, and starting over repeatedly, when instead we can carry on from those ahead of us.”
She noted that the way people consume music has also changed over the years. “Digital technologies have revolutionised how we produce and distribute music through the impact of streaming and digital platforms that give artists and musicians an opportunity to reach global audiences, but like any innovation, it is not without its challenges.” The deputy minister thus stressed that it is very important for artists to be squared up about these innovations, and learn digital skills to be up-to-date with an ever-changing tech space. “More significantly, matters of intellectual property and digital rights will arise. When I completed my legal degree, intellectual property law was one of my majors. I can tell you with certainty that for
the music industry, artists and musicians need to educate themselves more about this area. I urge all of you to take on this responsibility and not cede it to anybody else,” she advised.
The SOTY Awards also recognised renowned artist Gazza as the winner of the Music World Cup, where he was awarded N$40 000 worth of airtime and received a certificate as the Music World Cup winner.
Fresh FM’s station manager KayCee Butsche expressed his excitement. “These awards are aimed at recognising and rewarding outstanding local musical achievements, as is expected from
Namibia’s leading urban radio station”.