Kwaito music of Namibia

In Namibia, the kwaito is the most renowned and successful music genre. It has the biggest industry in Namibia’s music and it is the only one that has the large support by the youth. This is because of the socio-economic issues that made many musicians to enter the music industry with the hope to strengthening the self-employment and to have living out from it. 

source of picture: www.namibiansun.com

Namibian kwaito has it’s strengthen and influence directly from the South African kwaito method. Though, over the periods Namibian brought a diverse form of kwaito that make it slightly different from the South African custom. The difference is based on the production and the Namibia production is based on towards party music. Namibian kwaito innovators include Matongo Family of Katutura. The trio was the first to perform on the Namibian stage with kwaito, they are popular since 1998 and they were the only one that established the kwaito artists until the year 2002. Guti and Pablo are other early kwaito artists. The Doggm Gazza and Legg-Ghetto were considered as one of the earliest and innovators of the Namibian kwaito genre. Gazza and Dogg help in evolving and restructuring the genre to what is it now. Soon after they came to the Namibian music industry the attention on the international musician has reduce. For that reason the two of them are not only known for their contribution to the kwaito genre but the Namibian music at generally. Other prominent figures include EES, Sunny Boy, Uno Boy, Bone Chuck and Dollar 6 who joined the industry following Gazza and Dogg. The genre became more popular and has many musicians than other genres in Namibia. Max, OmZoo, Chipolopop, T-Kop7, PDK, Tre Van Die Kasie and OmPuff were other renowned kwaito musicians. The Dogg’s debut album of Shimaliw Osatana was assumed as the blueprint of the Namibia’s kwaito based on the fact that, it is the first kwaito album produced in Namibia by a Namibian musician.