Big Ben to perform at tourism expo

MICHAEL KAYUNDEWINDHOEKAmped for his Namibia Tourism Expo performance next month, tjil caught up with live music legend Big Ben to find out what fans can expect from his set.tjil (t): Firstly, thank you for granting us the interview opportunity. Before we get to the music talk, how are you?Big Ben (BB): The entertainment calendar has begun to fill up, which implies that an industry that has been severely starved for the better part of two years due to the lockdown will now have more activity. I am consequently in good physical and emotional health.t: You are one of the performing artists at this year’s tourism expo, what can fans expect from your set?BB: We want to show them what Namibia has to offer in the shape of music that might be appealing to a wide range of individuals from all over the world because the Namibia Tourism Expo attracts a lot of people from diverse backgrounds. We want operators, agencies and networks from all over the world to understand that we can entertain their next tour.t: With the rise of festivals in Namibia, many Namibian artists still perform with backing tracks. Why do you think this is the case and what can be done to make performances with a live band the norm?BB: Even though I would much rather perform with a band, due to financial constraints, we are often forced to scale back and perform alone or with fewer musicians. For such performances, you might want accompaniment music, also known as a backing track. There are those who simply don’t bother but always mime to the music, but we still need to play certain instruments and perform real singing.t: Having released ‘Love and Respect’ last month, how has the response been to the song? Can fans anticipate a full body of work any time soon?BB: ‘Love and Respect’ is four male voices coming together to spread a word towards other men to make an effort to spread love and respect and not hate and pain to the vulnerable. Me, Riaan Smit, Dik Bones and Patric Sikiliza just want men to be the source of good as opposed to being the source of bad news in every newspaper article on violence.I have an album ready, but we are scanning the environment for the right time to release a full body of work.t: You are also running a social media challenge/campaign for ‘Love and Respect’. Please fill us in on how this came about and how fans can participate?BB: We have a video contest where we are encouraging amateur and professional videographers and film-makers to come up with a concept and produce a music video for the song.The European Union delegation in Namibia has agreed to fund the song’s production and is also assisting with the video contest. There are cash prizes to be won for the best videos. We are interested in the creativity and effectiveness of the video presentation and not so much in the type of equipment and gear used. But, of course, we want the best possible material.

Big Ben to perform at tourism expo

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-06

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Big Ben to perform at tourism expo

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Namibian Sun 2026-02-06

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