THE TRIBE

The Tribe Exclusive featuring Namib Yaantu

At the age of 15, Toshi Haufiku, who is popularly known as Namib Yaantu, was introduced to music at the Art Performance Centre (APC) in Tsumeb.

Those early days of discovery saw her try out different instruments including the piano and the violin until she eventually settled for the guitar. “They taught me the basics and from there I grew into my own style,” she says, reminiscing of her days as a music student.

Today, the budding musician won’t be seen anywhere without her guitar over her shoulder.

Growing up, she was also quite athletic, playing both soccer and basketball in school, but now she has made strides in her guitar skill and is known for her soulful singing.

As she puts it, she wants to “bring the light back into the music world.”

Many may not know it or even guess it when they see her come alive on stage but this vibrant singer started out as a teacher. She quit her teaching job to pursue her first love, music - a decision that she admits wasn’t received well by some people in her life. Despite the objections, though, she pushed on with her music and hasn’t looked back since.

Spreading love, compassion and hope

A songwriter of note, Namib Yaantu is passionate about poetry and uses her music to spread the message of love and compassion. Her songwriting journey continuously evolves alongside her spiritual growth and she captures this through her music.

Namib Yaantu is all about sending out the right messages and inspiring hope in young Namibians. “What I wanna do with my music is preach about love. If we had more love in the world, we wouldn’t have some of the things happening today,” she says.

Pushing through the challenges

Like many upcoming musicians, Namib Yaantu goes through her fair share of challenges. She singles out limitations like lack of financing for studio time as one of the biggest roadblocks she faces. “As an artist, I had to revert to doing odd jobs to make ends meet,” she says.

One of the odd jobs that she often finds herself doing to raise funds is teaching music, something that comes naturally to her considering her teaching background.

She has also ventured into the film industry, making music for local productions. Recently she produced a documentary on her life with sponsorship from the Namibian Film Commission. In this production she shares her story of struggle and triumph, giving a glimpse into her life as a musician and as a person.

When it’s all said and done, Namib Yaantu wants to leave a legacy for younger girls who wish to venture into music. She wants girls across Namibia to know that with their dreams and hopes set high, they can achieve whatever they want in life.

Find Namib Yaantu on Instagram @namib_yaantu, on Facebook and Youtube: Namib Yaantu

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