Reviving the Legends: The Power of Covers

What happens when a younger, trending musician heads into the studio to record a forgotten masterpiece by a legendary artist who doesn’t make music any more?

Magic happens.

Suddenly, a song that was gathering dust starts earning royalties all over again. The original songwriter, which in Namibia is usually also the singer, starts earning money, and we actively take care of our ageing artists instead of just paying them lip service.

You’ve likely read recent newspaper reports where some artists complain of receiving a mere N$100 from the Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam), quickly calling the institution a scam.

The hard truth is that Nascam can only distribute royalties where the music is actually used, reported and licensed. It does not matter if Namibians call you a legend on social media; if your songs do not play on the airwaves any more, there are no royalties for you. Opuwo.

In Namibia, many stations prioritise newer music because they believe it better suits their target audience. When they tune away, the station loses the audience it sells to advertisers.