Namibian Soundscapes

Music of the People and the Land

The interviews in this book tell the musicians fascinating stories of growing up in rural and urban Namibia. They capture the extreme difficulties, and the rewards of carving out musical careers in a beautiful, desert-like country of immense diversity. The musicians lived with the reality of apartheid and the intense struggle for Namibian independence. They pursued their passion for music through listening, performing, teaching and studying music. The interviews included Jackson Kaujeua, Namibian music legend, and Minette Mans, internationally known music educator and researcher. The stories ranged from musics role in the independence struggle, to village ritual music and dance, to international travel to perform and teach, to singing in church choirs. Preserving traditional Namibian music was a theme throughout the interviews.