The Anthem Saga: Who’s the Real Composer?

So, we’ve got a bit of a situation with the national anthem of Namibia.

The composer of our national anthem recently died, and now it seems like everyone and their cousin want to lay claim to the song.

But the real kicker in this story is a so-called academic who is out there implying that musicians aren’t exactly Einstein-level smart, and they couldn’t possibly have penned this lyrical masterpiece.

Seriously, who wrote this anthem?

Quick question before I continue: At least we have a ‘national anthem’, but where is the ‘national book’ he wrote, being the smarty-pants he thinks he is?

Picture this: Back in the heady days of the country’s independence, there were a bunch of talented composers all trying to craft our national anthem.

Among them was Axali Doëseb, who, bless his soul, actually wrote the anthem that tugs at our heartstrings to this day.

Fast forward a couple of decades, some politician steps out of the shadows, waving his hands, and says: “I wrote that song.”

Everybody smiles and walks away, saying: “Good for you, my guy, you are in the newspaper.”

Yes, you heard me right.

We’ll call this self-proclaimed composer ‘Captain Claimer’.

He just popped up out of the blue, claiming he’s the real deal.

But here’s the twist: He hastily slapped his signature on a government publication from way back when, and it clearly says Axali Doëseb was the true genius behind the anthem.

Let’s take a moment to give Captain Claimer some credit.

In a world where everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, he decided to be the odd one out, the jester in our national circus.

It’s almost like he thought he could just waltz into history, scribble his name, and say: “Hey folks, I’m the real Shakespeare of our national anthem!”

Bravo, Captain, bravo!

But the fun doesn’t stop there. Here comes our academic superhero, with his cape and all, claiming musicians cannot possibly have the brains to write a lyrical marvel like our anthem.

I mean, really?

Is he saying musicians are just a bunch of semi-literate wannabes who lucked into creating this masterpiece?

It’s like this academic forgot about the likes of Beet­hoven and Manu Dibango, some of the greatest minds in history, who also happened to be musical geniuses.

Imagine telling the great Hugh Masekela: “Hey, bra Hugh, you might be able to churn out some sweet tunes, but writing a national anthem is way above your pay grade.”

The sheer audacity of that statement is mind-boggling.

It spells ‘stupid’ and ‘ignorant’ on the forehead of the speaker.

One has to wonder if this academic has ever had a moment of brilliance in his life. Maybe he only exists to provide the press with hilariously absurd quotes.

Perhaps he believes he’s the only one capable of intellectual feats, while the rest of us are stuck in the land of mediocrity.

Oh, the arrogance!

Now, let’s give a round of applause to the real stars: the artists.

Musicians, composers and lyricists who pour their hearts into creating the songs that become the soundtrack of our lives – from Jackson Kaujeua and Ras Sheehama to Erna Chimu.

From Sunny Boy to Sally and Big Ben.

They’re the ones who weave a tapestry of emotions through their compositions, capturing the essence of a nation in every note and rest.

So, amid the absurdity of wild claims and academic blunders, let’s not forget the true heroes of this tale: the artists who give us the magic of music.

They’re the real geniuses, and they don’t need validation from folks who can’t tell the difference between a quill and a conductor’s baton.

Here’s to the artists, and may their brilliance continue to shine brightly in the symphony of our nation.

By the powers vested in the National Anthem of the Republic of Namibia Act No 20 of 1991, the composer and author is Mr Axali Doëseb.