By Rinelda Mouton
Poet Christopher Linyando, known by his stage name Ahdoesit, said getting to where he is today was not an easy journey as he experienced disbelief from people within his circle. He said people would criticise him and say he would never make it.
“Despite all the challenges, for me it has always been about the dream. What mattered to me was not what people saw or said about me, it was how I saw myself and what I said about myself. I had to become everything I told myself I was,” Ahdoesit said.
He said growing up in an informal settlement became fuel for his ambitions because it motivated him to become who he is today. So far, Ahdoesit has graced stages in Namibia and internationally.
“When I started, I started with open mic sessions. I was performing in the name of exposure and I really did not know I could get paid for my art. So far, my journey has been a long one, from performing at local events to gracing global stages,” Ahdoesit said.
Ahdoesit said his poetry has given him a platform to impact the lives of thousands of people. Through his poems, he shares light and hope for the hopeless. He speaks about culture, empowerment and mental health, while also advocating for a brighter future.
He started writing poetry when he was 13 years old. “My mother always told us stories when we were children, and from her stories I would try to write. Being a poet is more than just an identity for me, it is a calling.
It is a way of writing myself into existence. I carry voices, voices that bind with my spirit, voices that connect me to my roots, and through art I get to live within these voices,” he said.
He said poetry in Namibia is growing, but more talent still needs support and nurturing because talent without the right network is like having tools with no land to build on.
