Celebrating MultiChoice Namibia’s 25th Anniversary with Sally Boss Madam
Sally Boss Madam’s Global Takeover
“I just try to do the best I can do. Always giving a hundred per cent to my audience. A show is a show and a show must go on. Simple.”
Sally has taken over Africa and the globe with her sultry voice and dance moves. Sally Boss Madam, is a musician who holds her own on any stage. Most recently she walked away with an All Africa Music Award (AFRIMA) for Best Female Artist for 2016 in Southern Africa for her hit song Natural.
Sally Boss Madam was born and raised in Katutura, (as she puts it, “the dusty streets of Katutura”) and discovered her singing talent in the church choir. From a young age Sally could sing, draw and dance and didn’t really have opportunities at school to develop those talents and honed her skills whilst singing in the church choir.
Is what you are doing now, what you’ve always wanted to do?
Yes, I, I started singing when I was eight years old, so you can imagine. I started singing solo in church when I was eight years old, from there I started joining choirs. I’ve been in the choir for over ten years. I always loved to perform and I remember my music director always saying, put Sally in the forefront. I started getting a few solos here and there and I got a little taste of what it feels like standing up there on stage alone. Everything falls into place when you are patient. I’m human so I have plan A, plan B, plan C but I’m so grateful that I’ve landed exactly where I wanted to be and that is to be a musician.
What is your biggest success up until now?
Wow, I’ve had a few of those actually. I’m quite proud of myself thank you. I think I’ve been doing very well. Most recently my splendid, sparkling beautiful awards, that would be my AFRIMA award, which makes me the best female artist in Southern Africa for 2016, so whoop, whoop to me. That feels really great.
I polish my awards all the time- shine baby shine. That will be one and of course all the other awards I won throughout, my career. What else? My son. My family. I have a home. I’m very grateful.
How has MultiChoice enriched your life through sharing your music with Africa and the rest of the world?
It was a huge step up, in my career when Trace Africa started playing my music. It has opened me up to a much wider audience, and with that came a lot of phone calls from other parts of Africa. I have been travelling a lot. I’m meeting new people because of that. It has been a journey and a half. It has been absolutely crazy; the reception has been so good. I’m just grateful for that but at the same time I cannot wait to see what else is going to happen.
How has DStv and GOtv allowed music to break boundaries?
That’s the thing. Music shouldn’t have boundaries and that’s one thing that DStv and GOtv is doing, breaking those down. Those barriers that a lot of artists are facing, especially in Namibia with our low population. We want to push our music outside, we want Africa to see that we on the chart, we’re on the map. The artists that are doing so well in or country are now being pushed, and the challenge is on you as an artist to deliver. We are now competing with international artists, something a lot of us have been looking up to. Imagine sharing a stage or sharing a moment with some of the artists, you grew up watching or admiring. It makes you want to do more.
At the same time, it helps us to not only think about the two million people in our country but the billions in Africa. It has opened up our minds and creativity as Namibian artists. Now we are thinking of exploring other genres.
Has your association with MultiChoice allowed you to make a difference in your community and what difference have you made?
In my community, coming from Katutura, I say coming from the best of Katutura, there’s nothing, absolutely better than the feeling of coming to visit your parents and you know everybody is running, ooh, she’s here and it’s great. They are genuinely so proud of you.
At the same time, you’re inspiring all these other young girls or young boys who came from the same neighbourhood and background as you. They are looking at you like oh, you know, it’s okay to come from this street, and my parents could be watching me on DStv too. We are not limited anymore. It’s not about certain things being exclusively for the rich and the famous.
I get to meet a lot of young girls who come to me, a lot of times their parents bring them to me and they are like, look she can sing, look she can dance, look she’s really great at this and if I were to go back a few years, that was almost non existent. Parents or people didn’t believe you can have a career in the arts or music in this country.
What else came from people watching your music videos on Trace Africa?
On a personal level, respect. From a business perspective, it gives your brand credibility.
How has this allowed you to tell your story?
I think the same way it’s done for so many others before us. People we’ve been admiring because the platform was there. We grew up watching Brenda Fassie. We get to hear their stories. Love them. Yearn to to be like them. Have Africa fall in love with us. We want everybody to know, for our people to know a girl from the dusty streets of Katutura. It’s not just a lady who sang a song that I like, this is who she is. She was raised in a home and you find similarities.
We caught up with Sally to get to know her better and talk about how her career has been supported by MultiChoice.
https://soundcloud.com/99fm/25th-anniversary-sally-boss-madam