Jaenique Swartz
IN the ever-evolving music landscape, artists often find themselves undergoing great transformations, both in their craft and personal identities. This is a reality for Namibian-born musician and entrepreneur, Tulonga Josef, formerly known as Shotgun.
Josef has been in the music industry for more than 15 years, and has six albums and several hit singles under his belt. However, as he grew older, he realised he was missing out on opportunities due to the negative connotation of his stage name.
“Shotgun was more of a gangster, kwaito kind of name. As I am ageing, I realised that spiritually some of the names come with curses in one’s life,” he observed.
His rebrand is quite personal to him. Being a mental health advocate, he no longer wanted to be known by or associated with his previous stage name. He has thus changed his stage name to Secretary General, as he embraces the new changes that life will bring to him.
However, he conceded that it will be difficult turning away from how he was previously known, as it was a name the nation has known him by for many years.
Music is not the only thing he keeps himself occupied with, as he has embedded himself in the mental health awareness campaigns facilitated by the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS) through the Office of the Deputy Minister and the primary healthcare office. This came after he released his mental health single over a year ago, which was received quite well, and has propelled him to do the work he is currently doing with the youth.
Josef launched his National Mental Health Awareness Campaign (NMHAC) last November in the capital, which is supported by MoHSS and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), under project ‘Leaving No One Behind’.
“It has allowed me to grow spiritually, mentally and emotionally. It has helped me get to know this person inside me,” he continued.
He has an upcoming roadshow with NMHAC, through which he wants to spread the important message of mental health advocacy. “I want to make sure everyone in Namibia understands the value of life, and the importance of taking care of themselves and others to avoid suicide and abusive tendencies that could be caused by the lack of awareness of mental health issues.”
He has cemented himself into the music scene, having brought forth unforgettable tracks that the Namibian nation will always remember him by. His most recent single titled ‘Back to School’ features Sunny Boy, and hit his official social media pages and YouTube last week, has more than 400 views thus far.
The musician notes as he walks this journey of self-discovery and advocating for important causes that he wishes to encourage the youth to work smart, and always follow their dreams. He furthermore shared the importance of going for what makes them happy, making sure they take care of themselves mentally and physically.
-jaeniqueswartz@icloud.com