Zambezi Region’s pride and musical powerhouse, Stoney Mubiana remains one of the regions and arguably national celebrated artists to date as far as creativity and conscious music is the subject. One of Namibia’s music fathers and versatile musical architects just at the stroke of Independence, the ‘Mama Wa ka’ singer was a popular performer in the live music circuit with a rare talent at the time.
Katima Mulilo’s own pride was one of the first from the region to combine traditional music with modern instrumentation, blend Kizomba and African beats. Together with his musical weights at the time, he became renowned for publishing backing tracks for local adverts.
Then determined, Stoney was always ready to hit the music scene with his African rhythm and disco music. He rubbed shoulder with continental heavyweights lending nominations in the Africa Song Competition with his song ‘Mama Wa Ka’. This is understood that he made music for Africa and the world.
“In a country Iike ours with many cultural groups, you have to play a variety of music in order to satisfy the different tastes.” – Stoney Mubiana Stoney, who during his time encouraged women to join the music industry, was one of the trailblazers who was determined to push Namibian music and grow the industry, which was still in its infant stage.
The burning passion for music that lived in him led to him quitting his job to allow him to further his knowledge of music. In 1990, he thus moved to Windhoek where he studied composition and music theory and also mastered the art of a keyboard. Mubiana later became the Senior Music Librarian at the national broadcaster (nbc), and a member of the Board of Directors for Namibia Society of Composer and Authors of Music (NASCAM). His contribution to the Namibian music industry was very instrumental and represents an invaluable mark that helped ignite and set local music and talent on a growth route.
Stoney passed on in 2003.
