Season three of the popular Next Ma /Gaisa Star was launched at the National Theatre of Namibia (NTN) Backstage in Windhoek on Tuesday, amid much fanfare.
The ceremony was graced by season two winner Larco, who serenaded the enthusiastic crowd with a red-hot performance. During the ceremony, MC Che Ulenga noted that the organisers of the competition plan to take the event to The Dome at Swakopmund.
The maiden competition was won by Marv in 2021.
The music extravaganza, which aims to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Ma /Gaisa genre, among others, is the brainchild of Swakopmund-based SAN-Welwitschia Music Production (WMP).
Ulenga said the pre-launch was aimed at attracting potential sponsors and to garner support from companies and organisations that share a similar goal of promoting a trailblazing shift within Namibia’s music diaspora, “in addition to spotlighting how we unearth promising talent inside our nation”, she said.
The event, which was self-sponsored in its first two seasons, has since seen the likes of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), the National Arts Council of Namibia and NTN coming on board as partners.
“Our purpose is to display a distinct sound that Namibia can portray to an international audience as their unique genre, showcasing our immense cultural diversity, and replicating a Namibian’s authentic and genuine heritage.
“We are striving to construct a narrative for our music that will serve as Namibia’s first documentary about the evolution of its distinctive sound, which has yet to be revealed to the rest of the world,” said Stella Naruses, co-owner of WMP.
Upon scrutinising the previous seasons, the organisers identified a few components they wish to improve, that is, the quality of the entry videos of the contestants and to provide backing vocalists and dancers during the competition.
Also on hand to make the evening a memorable one for the audience was veteran singer Michael Seraun, who showed that he still has it in him, with a powerful performance that had people dancing in their chairs.
*NBC1 will start broadcasting the singing competition, which will consist of 13 episodes, from December 2023.
