Following the 10th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee on World Heritage from 28th November to 4th December 2015 in Windhoek, Germany’s commitment to preserving Namibia’s intangible cultural heritage will be showcased with a talk show and live performance on 9th December 2015 at the Katutura Community Art Centre (KCAC) as from 18h00.

We are delighted to welcome and introduce the veteran musician Frederick Kamburutue a.k.a.

“Kariki” to give an extended talk and answer questions from the audience on his musical past as a saxophonist with bands such as the Dakotas and the Original Jazz Masters.

We are equally delighted to welcome and introduce the veteran musician Carlos Kambaekwa to also give an extended talk and answer questions from the audience on his musical past as a keyboardist and as a 2nd lead guitarist for the Baronages in the late 70s and 80s. Baronages was the first black band to perform at the German DHPS Hall in Windhoek. In the late 80s Carlos was the lead guitarist for the first Namibian multi-racial band. Today, Carlos Kambaekwa is anaward-winning sports editor for the New Era Newspaper, also known for his articles on music of the past.

The talk show will be followed by a musical live performance of the Original Jazz Masters with special appearance by Erna Chimu.

The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany Christian Schlaga will attend the event and deliver opening remarks.

In 2014 Stolen Moments, partnered with the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) to start a digitization project funded by the Cultural Preservation Fund of the German Federal Foreign Office. The purpose of this initiative was to safeguard and preserve Namibian heritage when it comes to popular music from 1950s up to 1980s. The project worked with vulnerable audio recordings of the NBC Radio archive converting its original musical carriers, such as LP’s, vinyls, sound reels and audiocassettes into archival digital form. As a next step, Stolen Moments together with the National Library of Namibia is to catalogue an estimated 1000 articles concerning the social and cultural life connected to the musical treasures of Namibia. This is to be collected from about 3000 daily, weekly and monthly newspapers from 1940s – 1980s.

Since 1985, Germany has committed over 1 million euros (over 15 million NAD at today’s exchange rate) to the preservation of Namibia’s cultural heritage. Projects include the restauration of the Brandberg rock carvings and of historic railroad cars and engines, literature projects, the preservation and documentation of oral traditions among the San and Kavango, of musical testimonials up to the preservation of architectural heritage of specific historic significance like the Estorffhaus, the Offiziershaus Warmbad and the building of the Namibia Scientific Society.