Musicians cash in on election campaigns
Parties turn to top artists to lure crowds
Many of the country's top musicians have made it clear that they will never perform at rallies organised by opposition parties, regardless of the monetary rewards.
As Namibians head into one of its most fractious election seasons, musicians are lining up on both sides of the political divide to lobby for support for their political candidate or party of choice.
For some, the money generated through bookings to perform at political rallies also serves as a much-needed source of income, especially with many local musicians living hand to mouth due to a lack of well-paying gigs.
Music industry sources say political parties will pay anything between N$5 000 to N$50 000 for local artists to perform at their events.
With the majority of voters coming from the youth bloc, political parties are ramping up efforts to mobilise them.
A key element of their strategy has been the integration of performing artists into their rallies, drawing large crowds with the promise of entertainment. For Namibian musicians, these events are becoming an important source of income during the election season.
It is clear that political rallies are providing an unexpected revenue stream for Namibian artists, offering them a chance to profit while using their platforms to engage with their fans in a politically charged environment.
Future considerations
Some artists choose to only perform for the political parties of their choice, with industry insiders indicating that many of the country’s big artists only perform at Swapo rallies.
Musicians like Lazarus 'Gazza' Shiimi, Martin 'King Tee Dee' Morocky and Monica 'Top Cheri' Pineas have repeatedly made it clear that they are off-limits to opposition parties.
“I am pretty sure the big guys will tell you that they will never perform at rallies of opposition parties because they fear it will jeopardise future commercial opportunities,” an industry source said.
Namibian Sun spoke to several prominent local artists to explore how they navigate these political gigs. Mepani Mbaindjikua, an independent artist manager who represents popular musicians TopCheri and DJ Vuyo, explained the selective nature of such engagements.
“For TopCheri, she only performs at rallies hosted by Swapo because that’s the party she supports,” said Mbaindjikua.
She added that the artists she manages are not bound by contracts to perform exclusively for Swapo but do so out of loyalty. “You must understand that these are one-off gigs. There’s no agreement that forces us to perform for one party, but the artists I work with choose to only do gigs at parties they support.”
For other artists, political affiliation is less of a factor. Sally Boss Madam, a celebrated Namibian artist and outspoken Swapo member, noted that she has yet to perform at political rallies despite receiving offers. “Sometimes it’s about requirements not being met or schedule clashes,” she explained.
For some, the money generated through bookings to perform at political rallies also serves as a much-needed source of income, especially with many local musicians living hand to mouth due to a lack of well-paying gigs.
Music industry sources say political parties will pay anything between N$5 000 to N$50 000 for local artists to perform at their events.
With the majority of voters coming from the youth bloc, political parties are ramping up efforts to mobilise them.
A key element of their strategy has been the integration of performing artists into their rallies, drawing large crowds with the promise of entertainment. For Namibian musicians, these events are becoming an important source of income during the election season.
It is clear that political rallies are providing an unexpected revenue stream for Namibian artists, offering them a chance to profit while using their platforms to engage with their fans in a politically charged environment.
Future considerations
Some artists choose to only perform for the political parties of their choice, with industry insiders indicating that many of the country’s big artists only perform at Swapo rallies.
Musicians like Lazarus 'Gazza' Shiimi, Martin 'King Tee Dee' Morocky and Monica 'Top Cheri' Pineas have repeatedly made it clear that they are off-limits to opposition parties.
“I am pretty sure the big guys will tell you that they will never perform at rallies of opposition parties because they fear it will jeopardise future commercial opportunities,” an industry source said.
Namibian Sun spoke to several prominent local artists to explore how they navigate these political gigs. Mepani Mbaindjikua, an independent artist manager who represents popular musicians TopCheri and DJ Vuyo, explained the selective nature of such engagements.
“For TopCheri, she only performs at rallies hosted by Swapo because that’s the party she supports,” said Mbaindjikua.
She added that the artists she manages are not bound by contracts to perform exclusively for Swapo but do so out of loyalty. “You must understand that these are one-off gigs. There’s no agreement that forces us to perform for one party, but the artists I work with choose to only do gigs at parties they support.”
For other artists, political affiliation is less of a factor. Sally Boss Madam, a celebrated Namibian artist and outspoken Swapo member, noted that she has yet to perform at political rallies despite receiving offers. “Sometimes it’s about requirements not being met or schedule clashes,” she explained.
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