By Frederick Philander
WINDHOEK
A Namibian musician has his eyes solidly set on a world tour to boost local music on a global scale due to the current international impact and interest in the country’s music around the world.
This creative and enterprising idea is the brainchild of musician and College of the Arts lecturer, Banana Shekupe, after his recent return from Los Angeles where he made solid contacts for such a music tour.
“It is my hope to kick-start the world tour in Germany early next year,” said a confident Shekupe during an exclusive Art/Life interview about his role as musical adviser to the film score of the Namibian feature movie, Where Others Wavered.
He has just returned from America where he was involved as a musical adviser in the final mixing and recording of the music for the Nujoma film, which is to be premiered in May this year in Cannes.
“In Los Angeles, I worked very closely with the American composer of the film’s music, James Taylor, through which process I was assigned to compose the credit music for the film, not at all a mean task. My primary function in the States was to make inputs and suggestions on the rhythm to the final music. I also sang a few tunes to improve and Africanize the music and made some final selections,” said the Namibian ethnomusichologist.
In his opinion, the film’s music is of an exceptionally high quality that will do any Namibian a world of good.
“As co-producer, I am now working on the credit song for the film. I have also seen a cut of the movie, and to my mind the end product will go a long way to putting Namibian filmmaking on the world map. In my opinion, the film will make all Namibians proud. At the same time, it will ignite more interest by Namibian filmmakers to make films for the international market,” said Shekupe, who hopes to become a film music composer.
According to him, many American filmmakers are keen and anxious to come to Namibia to pursue local story ideas for movies.
“At the moment, I am on the lookout for Namibian singers to be part of the credit song I have just finished. We will put the music together over the Easter weekend and I hope to complete it shortly thereafter, with the final cut of the piece to be done in South Africa where the film is presently being edited,” he asserted.
The envisaged world music tour will take Shekupe to Asian countries such as Japan, and to Australia and Latin America.
“I am currently also auditioning for dancers to form part of my repertoire on the tour. I am looking for talented poets because I also want to incorporate poetry in the musical programme. This world tour, I am sure, will open more doors to Namibian musicians,” said Shekupe, who is also working on an autobiographical film script from which he hopes to produce a movie eventually.
He sees the world tour as a golden opportunity for Namibian businesses to market and promote products in all the countries to which the tour will take him. People interested in becoming involved in the world tour can contact Banana Shekupe at: 081-220-9817.