Paheja Siririka
WINDHOEK – A former lead singer of the then popular band Afroshine known for its hit song ‘Ti Mama’ in 2008, says musicians should produce music for the world and not Namibia only.
Garth Prinsonsky is a Namibian musician and composer based in Canada, who goes by the stage name Garth Prince. He was born in Cape Town and grew up in Swakopmund. He has been in Canada since August 2008.
After taking a break from mainstream concerts, he is using his expertise for the greater good.
“I now only do school shows, workshops, and residencies,” he said in a recent interview. Garth Prince considers himself an “artiste-in-residence” for schools across Canada.
“I prefer doing these because it gives me a chance to work more regular hours than when I was doing weekend shows. I get to spend more time with my family that way. I am also often invited to teach at educator conferences in Alberta and other provinces in Canada,” said Garth Prince.
“Music has always been a means for me to express myself. Where words fail, music helps me emote, music also enables me to stay connected to my roots in Namibia, and share my history and culture with my children who were both born in Canada,” he said.
Comparing the state of music in Canada and Namibia, Garth Prince said musicians around the globe are adapting to the way technology and social media has affected the industry.
“I think Namibian musicians have to produce music for the world, and not just for Namibians, because we now live in a world where we are all connected. If we make music only for ourselves and for “our people” then we miss out on a huge opportunity,” he observed.
Reasons for migrating to North America was his family. “I moved here to be with my wife, who I met on a choir tour of western Canada in 2006. We have been married for 10 years and have two children, a boy, and a girl,” he said.
After moving, he kept to his passion – music and has embarked on teaching African music to the rest of the world. He also told Entertainment Now! that he was motivated to start teaching music purely because of the happiness he observed from those he was teaching.
“When I taught music to my own children, I saw the joy it gave them. I noticed that they especially loved Namibian folk songs,” he narrated.
Garth Prince also saw many African musicians on tour in Edmonton.
“I offered to be the opening act for their shows, including for the late Oliver (Tuku) Mtukudzi. These experiences taught me that Canadian audiences love my specific fusion of African music,” he explained.
Being of mixed origin, Garth Prince fuses genres together.
“I draw from my traditional music experience in Mascato Youth Choir from Namibia, my time studying jazz music in university, and also from the Orff Schulwerk (music for children),” he outlined.