“I TRULY hope people are able to see you can create the future you want to see,” says Nikolai ‘Okin’ Tjongarero.
He is the host of the ‘#FromTheJump’ podcast in which he interviews creatives and professionals.
His podcast is the first in Namibia to accept gifts and payments in bitcoin, as he is eager to push the creative industry and its stakeholders towards opportunities to earn money for skills in a less-complicated way.
The Black Vulcanite poet recently announced the first season of his conversation style series would officially be available on local streaming site DonLu Africa.
It initially aired in May 2020 and featured comedians, musicians and poets.
The sophomore iteration of the show came out on 15 August on streaming sites like Breez.com, Apple Podcasts and Okin’s IGTV page.
In the premiere of the second season of ‘#FromTheJump’, Okin spoke to music producer and tech entrepreneur Tshuutheni Emvula, who also goes by the name ‘Becoming Phil’.
They talked about the latter’s work making music and working with Black Vulcanite and others.
They took a deep dive into his bitcoin ventures and even touched on politics.
Becoming Phil’s history is rooted in Namibian music, having been part of music group RUN NAMS for a time during their peak.
He also runs a bitcoin marketplace called BitCoin Trade Namibia, and founded Namibia Computing Technologies, an incubation-based technology company.
“It only made sense to start the season off with the person who tried to get me to pay attention to bitcoin in 2012,” he says.
Becoming Phil has a wealth of knowledge worth tapping into, and the two-hour-long conversation flows naturally, making it much more insightful than initially expected when you pressed ‘play’.
Radio host, media personality and MC Che Ulenga was his next guest the Sunday after the premiere.
She has had a long and celebrated career, and the two of them spoke about her passion for pushing local music, community building, issues within society, and her time in entertainment.
For future episodes, Okin says he is going to add more depth and value to the show, and he wants to allow his guests “even more freedom” in the exploration of their stories.
“There are a whole lot of surprises in store for the listeners/viewers this time round, with more behind-the-scenes discussions and knowledge transfers from our guests,” he says.
Catch ‘#FromTheJump’ on Apple Podcast, Breeze and Okin’s IGTV every Sunday.
– Anne Hambuda is a local poet, writer and social commentator. Follow her online for more.
