Method
The purpose of this research was to identify and present potential solutions for the Namibian government to consider, as well as to contribute to the existing literature on Namibian music today. However, because this research focuses on access, namely artists’ access to resources that can help them engage in expression through music as well as audiences’ access to that music, it is crucial to ensure that these findings can reach a wider audience. As a result, this website exists to present these findings in an accessible format.
In order to understand the experiences of those in the Namibian music community, I sought to interview musicians, composers, producers, and other music industry professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds with regard to religious background and beliefs, racial and cultural identities, and other dimensions of identity about their musical backgrounds, involvement in music, and experiences with factors like technological development and policy change. In addition to interviewing musicians, producers and educators to understand the problems they experience, I also interviewed arts administrators working in government institutions like the NACN and NASCAM and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the Goethe Institut and YONA in order to see the perspectives of those working on solving these problems. I recorded these interviews to organize and analyze responses.
I employed judgment sampling in order to reach out to individuals who were of particular interest to this project, including representatives of specific organizations or institutions, as well as musicians who have used music as a tool for political, cultural or self-expression or who have expressed frustration with the current state of affairs within the industry. I also employed snowball sampling, networking through the relationships I had built to find new participants. This strategy revealed that the Namibian music industry is not only an industry based on profit, but a community in which musical collaborations, business partnerships, and other opportunities often arise through personal relationships. However, this method introduced potential bias, excluding some artists who may not have built these connections yet.
I determined that interviewing participants was the most effective way of gathering data, as it not only allowed them to express themselves freely, but also allowed me to use their own words to present the information in an accessible and relatable way. These interviews consisted of both questions designed to apply to all participants as well as questions prepared specifically for each participant which were designed to reflect their particular experiences. These questions were made available to participants prior to the interview at their request in order to give them an opportunity to prepare. I used a semi-structured approach, where prepared questions were sometimes supplemented by followup questions which arose during interviews based on participants’ comments. This approach allowed me to compare participants’ experiences through general questions while also seeking to examine those experiences which were unique to each participant. I recorded these interviews was with a video camera equipped with a shotgun microphone. However, because interviews often took place in public areas around Windhoek, distractions, from traffic to people walking by and interruptions by phone calls or coworkers, were frequent, necessitating the use of a lavalier microphone in addition to the camera and shotgun microphone in order to better capture dialogue. In addition, some participants are living abroad, and interviewing them required me to meet with them over Zoom and screen record our meetings.
Acknowledgments
The field research which led to this project was conducted by Atle Wammer, a Fulbright Student in Namibia affiliated with the University of Namibia, from December 2024 to July 2025. Dr. Perminus Matiure, in the Music Section of the Humanities and Arts Department, acted as his advisor during that period and helped to bring this website to fruition.
Participants
The identities of participants, including racial/ethnic identity, socioeconomic status, religious identity, gender, sexuality, and geographical background, are crucial to understanding their experiences. These dimensions of identity can be the target of discrimination and oppression originating in the unique legacies of colonialism and apartheid in Namibia or in broader patterns of sexism, homophobia, or racism. However, they can also be sources of inspiration and strength for musicians seeking to share their personal identities and experiences with wider audiences. Participants were therefore encouraged to include identifying information that felt relevant to their experiences with musicking, such as race, religion, or sexuality, with the understanding that they should put as much or as little information as they felt appropriate. This information is shown below, with the exception of two participants who wished to remain anonymous. The objective of this research was to create as comprehensive a picture as possible of the personal experiences of Namibian musicians, including these dimensions of identity. The sampling of participants was no more than an attempt to include as wide a variety as possible of individual experiences while also allowing each participant to share their perspectives and experiences in depth, and part of the recommendations provided by this project will be to continue collecting this kind of feedback from community members in a more systematic fashion.
Don Kamati
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: Oshiwambo
Other:
Dan Shout
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: (Christian)
Racial/ethnic identity: White
Other:
Micheal Pulse
Gender:
Religious Identity:
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other:
Gretel Coetzee
Gender: Female
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other:
Ronaldo Kandume
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other:
Gretta Gaspar
Gender: Female
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: African
Other:
Irmgard Rannersmann
Gender: Female
Religious Identity:
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other: Chairperson of the Namibian National Symphony Orchestra
Desiree Mentor
Gender: Female
Religious Identity: Catholic
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other: Creative enthusiast
Garth Prinsonsky
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: Black (African)
Other: Canadian
Riaan Smit
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: N/A
Racial/ethnic identity: Caucasian
Other:
Tapz Munyayi
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Spiritual
Racial/ethnic identity: Black
Other:
Ponti Dikuua
Gender:
Religious Identity: Believer in the faith of YAHUA
Racial/ethnic identity: Xhosa Kavango
Other: Music composer
NaJah
Gender: N/A
Religious Identity:
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other:
Dr. Nashilongweshipwe Mushaandja
Gender: Male
Religious Identity:
Racial/ethnic identity: Black
Other:
Marcellinus Swartbooi
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: Nama
Other:
DV8
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: Black
Other:
Osmond !Owoseb
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: Damara
Other:
Franklin Shitaleni
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: African
Other:
Vaughn Ahrens
Gender: Male
Religious Identity:
Racial/ethnic identity: Namibian
Other:
Fabienne Conradie
Gender: Female
Religious Identity: /
Racial/ethnic identity: /
Other: /
Jackson Wahengo
Gender:
Religious Identity:
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other:
Nikolai Tjongarero
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: Black Namibian
Other:
Emmanuel Ndifon
Gender: N/A
Religious Identity:
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other:
Namupa Nghixulifwa
Gender: Female
Religious Identity: N/A
Racial/ethnic identity: Black (Oshiwambo)
Other:
Arthur Black
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: Zambian
Other:
Lehto Cambinda
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Christian
Racial/ethnic identity: Half Angolan / Half Namibian (Wambo)
Other:
Toivo Paulus
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Catholic
Racial/ethnic identity: Oshivambo
Other:
Andries Mouton
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: Grew up in the Christian tradition – Reformed Church
Racial/ethnic identity: White
Other: Amateur and professional musician, journalist, radio presenter
Harry Msimuko
Gender:
Religious Identity:
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other:
Nghishy Muniaro
Gender: Male
Religious Identity: None
Racial/ethnic identity: Black/Wambo/Herero
Other: German born and raised
Ras Sheehama
Gender: N/A
Religious Identity:
Racial/ethnic identity:
Other: