She’s the voice that gave us ‘Don’t Look Back’, also known as ‘Siwelewele’.
Now, Anna Afrikaner, the lead singer of the iconic Gobabis-based band People’s Choice, is making a comeback.
Known to fans simply as Anna, the gifted songbird made her first major public appearance in years at the recent ‘Ma /Gaisa Meets Oviritje’ concert at Bobby Sissing Stadium at Khomasdal.
Famous for an exceptional vocal range, Anna says life off stage has been anything but easy.
Raised by foster parents, Anna admits she has made mistakes along the way.
“Firstly, I deeply regret thinking I could make a decent living from music alone,” she says.
“I was blinded by my love for it. Everyone back then told me I would go far with my voice. I was just living for the moment then,” she says.
“They said I’d have the same high life as my childhood idol Brenda Fassie. And I believed them. She’s undoubtedly the best female singer to come out of South Africa, and people said I had that same talent.”
Anna was still young and naive and, despite the fact that the opportunities were there to further her studies after finishing matric, she was too hooked on music to do so.
Now, wiser and regretful, Anna is stepping back into the spotlight, reclaiming the gift that never left her, she says.
Born and raised at Gobabis, Anna says: “My biological mother was very young when she gave birth to me, and she left me in the hospital after my father refused to take responsibility.
“The church was looking after me and decided to give me to the Slinger family.”
She says she only got to know her biological mother during her teenage years, but they never reconciled.
Anna says she started singing when she started talking.
HOOKED ON BRENDA
“All the people in my neighbourhood knew I loved singing and encouraged me to continue, because it was my God-given talent. I got hooked by Brenda Fassie from the moment I heard her voice,” she says.
“I made sure I attended her shows whenever she toured Namibia. I made a concerted effort to meet Brenda face to face when I went to record our album with my band People’s Choice in Johannesburg in 1999.”
Along the way, Anna also developed a love for the music of Splash and the Dalom Kids.
Besides the four albums she has released as a member of People’s Choice, the gifted singer also has a solo album called ‘Give And Take’, which was produced by Frans Katamelo – also a founder member of People’s Choice.
Anna says she sings about love in the title song ‘Give and Take’.
The mother of one child and grandmother of two has also dedicated a song called ‘Kenosi’ (which is Setswana for ‘I am alone’) to her only daughter.
BITTER PILL
“I enjoyed a beautiful journey with People’s Choice. I’m still upset that I never received the recognition I deserved for writing the lyrics and singing our super hit ‘Don’t Look Back’,” she says.
“[J]ust because I’m not the one featured in the music video of the song, which was the decision of the producer. I was out of town at the time the band was shooting the video,” she says.
Anna says she was upset when she attended an audition to perform at the Miss Teen and Miss Namibia pageants and was told she can’t sing another person’s song when she wanted to sing ‘Don’t Look Back’.
She says the Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music’s records prove that she is registered as the song’s lyricist.
Anna says she could not believe her eyes when she saw the music video for the first time on Namibian Broadcasting Corporation TV, because she was told the shoot didn’t happen because of problems with the video camera.
KATIMA SHOWDOWN
Anna says she has performed with her band at several big events, but nothing compares to a show they had at Katima Mulio.
“I’ve never seen so many people at any show we played around the country. It was outrageous, the people attended in huge numbers. We even bought the band a combi (minivan) afterwards,” she says.
Anna, who is unemployed, is currently applying the final touches to her single ‘Ke Boile’ (‘I’m Back’), and is reaching out to sponsors for its release.
She says Namibia has many talented singers.
“I believe we have talent in this country. However, the people who are responsible for booking artists, especially during big national events, are too one-sided,” she says.
“They’re mostly only looking for young artists to perform. When they have to book older artists, it is just the usual favourites while they neglect those outside town.”
She says many artists would live decent lives if they are all granted a fair opportunity to perform.
She thanks people like former deputy auditor general Goms Menette and former Gobabis municipality chief executive Ignatius Thudinyane, who made it possible for People’s Choice to survive as a group with their financial support.
For bookings, contact Anna at 081 330 5455, Poppy Garoës at 081 282 8870, or band manager Frans Katamelo at 081 129 5014.
