Afrikaans rapper Reeziana joins Ché on #TheTribeExclusive to talk about her music career and what it means to be a female musician in Namibia.
How did you get into music?
Music has always been a dream. I was writing but I just didn’t have the confidence to say that I love music and that I want to do music. But it was always inside of me, I used to write lyrics in my schoolbooks and everything, and up until later when I decided this is it.
How did you choose Afrikaans as your outlet?
Somebody dared me to do a song in Afrikaans, just to say “if you don’t do a song in Afrikaans I’m not going to buy your album”, so I was like okay I’m an artist I can do whatever language I find, and the song turned out great.
How difficult was it to create music. There’s no studios, there’s no support. How hard was it for you to get out of that situation and just live your dream?
Actually for me being in Dolam is like a blessing, because it’s like a lot of inspirational stories and, the situations there can get you to relate to people and have that feeling of knowing that you can be from wherever, you can have nothing but at the end of the day it depends on what your priorities are, and for me my priority was music.
Besides music, you also work with differently abled people, where do you get the strength, how do you do it?
I just feel like having a purpose in life, like where you can make a difference in somebody’s life is important. We are not all privileged to have two arms, two hands, two legs, great eyes that can see well, a brain that can function well, you understand, and for me to be able to help somebody get at least closer to what we consider as being normal, is really a privilege.
As a female rapper in the industry how hard was it and what are the victories that you really want to celebrate?
For me it’s the fact that I actually had radio stations fighting for me at the back. And then just the positive feedback from the people.
Do you look up to any female rappers that have been in the game before internationally, from the continent or even right here from home?
For me it’s not about the music, it’s about what you are doing extra. What is it besides the music, the extra thing that you are doing, because here in Namibia it’s mostly just like okay she’s a female rapper, she’s got bars, she’s got this and she’s got that. I don’t mind the bars, it’s just like I get inspired by ordinary people. I still haven’t found any female rapper that I can say is pushing beyond just being a female rapper, so I haven’t found anybody who inspires me.
What’s the future like for you?
I want to take this to the world. I want more, I want more than this.
I want people to have me on bigger stages, I want to be on other things putting Namibia out there. Everybody tries, says they are putting Namibia out there, but I still find people asking where is Namibia, I’m trying to cut that boundary.
To keep up with her, follow Reeziana on Instagram @reeziana_official, @reeziana_nam on Twitter and Reeziana on Facebook.
Watch ‘The Tribe’ on One Africa TV (GOtv 90, DStv 284, NBC 301, DStv Now, TV2Africa.com) every Friday at 21h30 and the repeats on Wednesdays at 07h00 as well as Saturdays at 17h30.
Alternatively, listen to ‘The Tribe’ on 99FM every Friday at 19h00 and follow ‘The Tribe’ on Instagram @thetribenamibia and on Facebook @TheTribeNamibia.
https://soundcloud.com/99fm/the-tribe-feat-reeziana