WINDHOEK: Founding President, Dr Sam Nujoma on Friday said the Late Axali Doeseb left a rich legacy behind when he composed the National Anthem, ‘Namibia, Land of the Brave’, which played a significant role in the nation’s artistic heritage.
Doeseb passed away on 27 October 2023, aged 69.
In a speech read on his behalf at the memorial service of the Late Doeseb held at Parliament Gardens here, Nujoma said the national anthem has not only served as a symbol of pride but also of unity and national reconciliation since it was adopted in December 1991 preceded by ‘Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika,’ as it serves as one of the country’s national symbols.
“We should therefore be proud and hold our heads up high for having produced a musical genius of the magnitude of the late comrade Doeseb who was the director of a traditional music group from the Kalahari desert chosen to compose our national anthem after winning a contest organised by the sub-committee on national symbols, tasked with the creation of our flag, our coat of arms and our national anthem,” he said.
The evocative lyrics and melody in the national anthem tell the story of the country’s diversity and how to harness the new era of unity and national reconciliation when it talks about the “freedom fight we have won and how we give glory, our love and loyalty together in unity, to the bravery of those whose blood waters our freedom and hold high the banner of liberty of our motherland Namibia that we love so much,” he added.
Nujoma further said the imprint the Late Doeseb left on the music industry will continue to resonate and reverberate long after he has gone.
Doeseb, he went on to say, championed pride in the culture and indigenous music of the people because artists are as much as historians and anthropologists and music is far more than entertainment. It has the immense power to rouse people to action and give them a sense of purpose.
“Our artists are our seers who bring together people across political divides and help to forge social cohesion. Thus as a country, we must honour our artists for they are the voice of the people and the conscience of the nation when they lift our spirits even during the darkest days,” Nujoma said.
Source: The Namibia Press Agency