Oviritje under spotlight … researchers examine music industry profits
Namibia’s Oviritje music genre, which emerged in the 1960s among Ovaherero youth, has become a cultural and commercial success story. However, a new study by media scholars Professor William Heuva and Moses Magadza question whether the artists behind the music are truly benefiting from its growth in the digital age. The duo published a journal... The post Oviritje under spotlight … researchers examine music industry profits appeared first on New Era .
Namibia’s Oviritje music genre, which emerged in the 1960s among Ovaherero youth, has become a cultural and commercial success story. However, a new study by media scholars Professor William Heuva and Moses Magadza question whether the artists behind the music are truly benefiting from its growth in the digital age.
The duo published a journal article examining how Oviritje fits into today’s digital music economy and who really profits from the genre.
The study, titled Commodification of Music in the Digital Age: Locating Namibia’s Oviritje Popular Music Genre in the Capitalist Music Economy, appears in the book Indigenous African Popular Music, Volume 2.
In the article, they argues that although Oviritje music has become more visible through social media and digital platforms, many artists continue to struggle financially while large technology companies benefit from the circulation of their music.
