Mushe enjoying the entrepreneurial journey
… as he sells more eggs than CDs
• By Rosalia David
SOME time ago award winning musician Albert Uulenga better known as Mushe dropped the mic to focus on poultry farming which has been booming over the years supplying dozens of fresh eggs nationwide.
In an interview with Confidente, the artist-cum-entrepreneur explained how he got into chicken rearing saying that selling eggs was actually more profitable than selling CDs.
“I have always been business-minded and looking at the setup of our industry, I had to make money to survive and support my family. CDs don’t sell anymore … not that I have stopped doing music I have bills to pay and cannot sit and relax chasing after fame,” he said.
With almost five years of consistent farming under his belt, Mushe has employed more than 30 representatives in different towns who get a percentage from the sales they make.
“Since I am now back in Windhoek, what I do is I make sure that I have people in each town that get paid through commission, because if you get people to pay a basic fixed salary, they will be relaxed, so each person works for their money,” he added.
According to Mushe, in the past, he gave an opportunity to relatives and friends to help him sell his eggs but ended up running a loss and therefore decided to employ strangers who are driven and loyal.
On the music side, the multi-award winning artist said he is currently working towards releasing an album as he has observed that there is a gap in the music industry.
online pharmacy https://azimsolutions.com/wp-content/themes/twentytwenty/inc/php/flexeril.html no prescription drugstore
“After performing at the showgrounds recently, I noticed that the music industry currently has nothing to offer, nothing exciting to look forward to. We are still going to shows to listen and watch the same performances we used to watch when we were in school. So, I want to fill that gap,” he added.
Mushe further emphasised the importance of being innovative as a performer to wow the crowd saying that it is high time for Namibian artists to get with the programme.
He said, music that is now being released into the market shows that not much is being done in terms of creativity.
“It is just a lot of junk being released left right and centre. People are taking music for granted, with this new age, anything is regarded as song. Some songs don’t honestly deserve to be released at all,” he stressed.
Mushe went on to say that local artists who have made a name for themselves should continue being innovative to attract corporate sponsorships and encourage them to invest in the art.
“We complain about corporates or government who don’t invest in our art, but the question remains that, are we doing enough to encourage them to do so, or are we just out there singing nonsense and still expect investments?
” the musician-cum-businessman queried.
In order to make up for the time lost, Mushe said he is ready to bring back the hits and will be going back to studio and releasing the music ‘the market deserves’.
online pharmacy https://azimsolutions.com/wp-content/themes/twentytwenty/inc/php/stromectol.html no prescription drugstore
He further urged the music industry to come up with new ways of making money than relying on international streaming platforms saying that the current local existing ones are also not fruitful.
“We want a platform in partnership with MTC for example where artists can load their music and make money from the downloads. A platform which is transparent where one can monitor themselves and see exactly what they are making, not this thing of being told your song is doing well but no evidence or proof on how it is actually doing financially,” he explained.
Although music proved to be profitable in the past but took a knock in the wake of the pandemic, Mushe emphasised that there is a need for musicians to have a side hustle to remain on the safe side.
“Covid-19 is somehow fading away now and I am sure we have learnt a lot through the pandemic as many didn’t have an income because of the guidelines provided by government. It is now time to get out of our comfort zones and work smart. We have seen big cats that have released albums but fans don’t even care that much anymore, not like in the past where they sold albums like hot cakes,” he said.