His EP ‘38’ was undoubtedly one of the most solid Namibian music productions in 2018.
Released when he turned 38 years old, the EP was a reflection of his life up until that moment, incorporating his views on life at that age. “I wanted to call this album the Power of Thirty because when you’re at that age you stop caring about what your peers think. You become more inclined with yourself and more in touch with what really works for you,” he says.
On why it took him so long to release his first music project, he says: “I got to the age of 38 and I realised that it was actually the right time for me to release this stuff because I finally found what works for me in terms of sound.”
‘38’ became the project that he was finally ready to share, one that contains his true sound and not necessarily what’s trending.
“This is my story. This is my piece of art and how I see it and how I want people to understand my sound,” he adds.
Over the years, Kboz has worked with many Namibian artists and has produced and mastered many projects. He is very passionate about making music that is authentic and that speaks to the cultures and sounds of Africa.
“The unfortunate thing is that as much as we look up to the Western way of doing music we are also in competition with them, because they’ve been dominating for so many years and now people are beginning to recognise the African sound and appreciating it,” he says while adding that this African sound should still be packaged in a way that makes it appeal to the global audience.
As a man who is married to one of the most successful musicians in the game today, Kboz also talks about how he manages to hold his own as a producer and artist in his own right.
“I know that I’m a good producer and a good DJ. Am I a face or the kind of person you’d use to sell what I’m producing? Not really. Why? Because I’m an introvert, I’m very shy in crowds, in public and whatnot, but I’ve got the ideas and I understand how to make a brand,” he says. For him, having his wife excel in her industry is a reflection of how he wants people to see her.
“So I will not be intimidated by all the fame and all the shine that’s coming to her because that’s what we were working towards, and that’s what I told her.”
Kboz also touches on the importance of skills development in the music industry, especially for music producers like himself. He believes that the starting point is giving producers opportunities to travel outside Namibia in order to expose them to other music industries. “You need to travel to see how other people work. You’ll come back home and realise that there is so much that you doing wrong.”
Another piece of advice he as for producers is for them to be open to taking risks, to work hard, and to triple their hustle if they want their dreams to come through.
Watch The Tribe on One Africa TV (GOtv 90, DStv 284, DStv Now, TV2Africa.com) every Friday at 21h30 and repeat shows on Wednesdays at 07h00, and 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-ft-kboz-hoantami?in=99fm/sets/the-tribe