HEIKO Doedens was announced the winner of Voice of Namibia on Saturday evening at The Dome in Swakopmund.
The 38-year-old motorcycle salesman says winning still feels unreal.
Voice of Namibia was started in 2018 to discover and support new talent, as well as create platforms for upcoming singers to perform.
Doedens says participating in the competition taught him a lot about the industry which he did not know before.
“I appreciated learning about the importance of properly preparing for a performance. In the past I always just got on stage without any practice. Being well prepared can make your show more successful.”
He entered the contest after some encouragement from friends and family. The father of two previously performed with a couple of bands like Bedrock, Gazoline and Steam, and says winning Voice of Namibia has motivated him to further explore his singing career.
“I always wanted to enter this competition and I am thankful that I finally did. I am currently in South Africa and there are no plans just yet for my singing career. I enjoy singing. I always tell myself although times are tough I will keep singing. It is important to always do what you love and never ever perform material to make others happy. Stick to what you know and do what makes you happy instead.”
Doedens is grateful to have the support of his family. “My family always support me in whatever I do. I dedicate the win to my father. He recently passed away. I just want to thank him,” Doedens said.
Founder and owner of Voice of Namibia, Alinda Lu’Mar says over the years the quality of contestants is getting better.
“Each year we are taking baby steps, but there is certainly growth. This year we had the strongest group. Here we do find diamonds,” she said.
Lu’Mar said she established the contest because she personally knows how difficult it is for upcoming artists to get a chance to perform.
“Not everyone wants to perform in places such as pubs. By participating, their voices get the chance to be heard. Many of the contestants never had the platform to perform on stage before,” Lu’Mar said.
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