Silent Killers
It started as a family thing that later turned into a money-making scheme. Meet a unique set of people in showbiz.
The Silent Killers are Buchters through and through and proud residents of Lüderitz who want to ensure that their town has great entertainment provided all the time.
The dancing crew, made up of comedian Tuta, MJ and Denzel, say that they don't want to be like the other entertainers who leave Lüderitz for the big city when they have made it as it does not show loyalty to their hood.
In 2009 the dancers started dancing in a group called Manga Fam which means tiny family as they were all little kids who grew fond of each other.
The group broke up as the majority of its members went to further their studies.
“I was in primary school and my bras left for secondary school. We were initially eight, but because of other commitments we are only three today.
“There are people who have tried to join our dance group but we refuse because we know that there is no money in it as a reward which could result in lack of commitment from them. I am proud of us because we have done so much to create a name for ourselves,” said Denzel.
The trio admitted to the hardships of being entertainers in the region which include lack of success and lack of sponsorships. For them, one needs to have a back-up plan in case dancing doesn't work out. “I can't mention any name of someone that has made it through dancing from Lüderitz because it is that hard. The one person we look up to is Ella who currently dances for Exit who is from the region.
“The majority of the Lüderitz dancers have all stopped because of lack of support,” said Tuta. The dancers say it's easier to get noticed in the city and be taken up by an artist as a backup dancer or by a choreographer, as opposed to their small hometown with close to no resident musicians.
The Silent Killers regard themselves as a unique group because they dance to all kinds of music genres.
They claim to be targeting audiences from all over the country instead of considering Namibia as their only market. “If you listen to our mix that we dance to you get music from East Africa, Europe, and America – everywhere.
We have no boundaries. When you come to see us perform you are guaranteed to sing along to your favourite song and walk away with sweet dance moves too,” said Denzel.
To date, the dancers have graced the Crayfish Festival, and the Diamond Festival in Oranjemund “The response that we got since our reunion has been overwhelming. People love us and what we do. This year we were asked to perform three times at the Crayfish Festival. That just shows how we love what we do. Getting gigs is hard because there are hardly big events so we mostly showcase at schools and bars and clubs,” said Tuta.
The dancers get their songs from DJs, by watching music shows and by keeping a close eye on musicians' social media pages. They pride themselves in only dancing to the latest tracks even if it means rehearsing dance moves the afternoon of the event. “We love having the element of surprise in our dance sets just so we keep our audience on their feet.
“We also like updating them on the latest music offered, especially that from local artists. Local is lekker and that is very true,” said Tuta. Silent Killers are motivated by some local cats including The Dogg, Tash, Chester and Gazza just to mention a few, and they enjoy dancing to their music.
They say their aim is to inspire the many talented youth of Lüderitz for their town to have a vast entertainment industry where actors, musicians and visual artists can be groomed and appreciated.
“Many times we have events here the hosts look out of Lüderitz for entertainment which shouldn't be the case.
“We want to motivate the young ones so come ten years down the line, we don't have to be depending on other towns for arts,” said Tuta. The trio hope that the town council gives attention to arts as it is one thing that they appreciate especially those that are not book smart.
“Little things like dance, acting or singing competitions where prizes could be won are ways to keep us busy and out of trouble. Many consider us talented people tsotsis, ghetto kids and irresponsible but that is not the case,” said Silent Killers.
Group member Tuta has become an internet sensation with his comic skills when he started uploading videos of him making fun of current affairs. “When my friend Erastus and I started making the videos we didn't think they'd get the attention they have.
One of the coolest videos we shot was when we transformed a beggar with a can of Doom spray. We have close to ten videos out and the fans keep requesting more,” said Tuta.
He hopes that an investor sees their talent to sponsor them for a short comedy film.
June Shimuoshili
The dancing crew, made up of comedian Tuta, MJ and Denzel, say that they don't want to be like the other entertainers who leave Lüderitz for the big city when they have made it as it does not show loyalty to their hood.
In 2009 the dancers started dancing in a group called Manga Fam which means tiny family as they were all little kids who grew fond of each other.
The group broke up as the majority of its members went to further their studies.
“I was in primary school and my bras left for secondary school. We were initially eight, but because of other commitments we are only three today.
“There are people who have tried to join our dance group but we refuse because we know that there is no money in it as a reward which could result in lack of commitment from them. I am proud of us because we have done so much to create a name for ourselves,” said Denzel.
The trio admitted to the hardships of being entertainers in the region which include lack of success and lack of sponsorships. For them, one needs to have a back-up plan in case dancing doesn't work out. “I can't mention any name of someone that has made it through dancing from Lüderitz because it is that hard. The one person we look up to is Ella who currently dances for Exit who is from the region.
“The majority of the Lüderitz dancers have all stopped because of lack of support,” said Tuta. The dancers say it's easier to get noticed in the city and be taken up by an artist as a backup dancer or by a choreographer, as opposed to their small hometown with close to no resident musicians.
The Silent Killers regard themselves as a unique group because they dance to all kinds of music genres.
They claim to be targeting audiences from all over the country instead of considering Namibia as their only market. “If you listen to our mix that we dance to you get music from East Africa, Europe, and America – everywhere.
We have no boundaries. When you come to see us perform you are guaranteed to sing along to your favourite song and walk away with sweet dance moves too,” said Denzel.
To date, the dancers have graced the Crayfish Festival, and the Diamond Festival in Oranjemund “The response that we got since our reunion has been overwhelming. People love us and what we do. This year we were asked to perform three times at the Crayfish Festival. That just shows how we love what we do. Getting gigs is hard because there are hardly big events so we mostly showcase at schools and bars and clubs,” said Tuta.
The dancers get their songs from DJs, by watching music shows and by keeping a close eye on musicians' social media pages. They pride themselves in only dancing to the latest tracks even if it means rehearsing dance moves the afternoon of the event. “We love having the element of surprise in our dance sets just so we keep our audience on their feet.
“We also like updating them on the latest music offered, especially that from local artists. Local is lekker and that is very true,” said Tuta. Silent Killers are motivated by some local cats including The Dogg, Tash, Chester and Gazza just to mention a few, and they enjoy dancing to their music.
They say their aim is to inspire the many talented youth of Lüderitz for their town to have a vast entertainment industry where actors, musicians and visual artists can be groomed and appreciated.
“Many times we have events here the hosts look out of Lüderitz for entertainment which shouldn't be the case.
“We want to motivate the young ones so come ten years down the line, we don't have to be depending on other towns for arts,” said Tuta. The trio hope that the town council gives attention to arts as it is one thing that they appreciate especially those that are not book smart.
“Little things like dance, acting or singing competitions where prizes could be won are ways to keep us busy and out of trouble. Many consider us talented people tsotsis, ghetto kids and irresponsible but that is not the case,” said Silent Killers.
Group member Tuta has become an internet sensation with his comic skills when he started uploading videos of him making fun of current affairs. “When my friend Erastus and I started making the videos we didn't think they'd get the attention they have.
One of the coolest videos we shot was when we transformed a beggar with a can of Doom spray. We have close to ten videos out and the fans keep requesting more,” said Tuta.
He hopes that an investor sees their talent to sponsor them for a short comedy film.
June Shimuoshili
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