Garth Prince the coastal boy from Swakopmund

Though he now resides 15,000 kilometers away from his home town of Swakopmund, Garth Prince (Prinsonsky) still considers himself a coastal boy from Namibia. Many might remember him from his schooldays at SSS, or perhaps as a singer in the Mascato Youth Choir and various coastal vocal groups including the award-winning “Afroshine.”
In 2008, Garth joined his fiancée in Canada and is now married and raising two children. He taught his children Namibian folk songs as a way to stay in touch with his roots, and over time his love for teaching and music merged. Since entering this new phase of his career, he has become a sought after teacher of African music in Canadian schools. He travels from school to school doing workshops for both students and educators, but it is The African Song and Dance artist-in-residence program for which he is best known.
He devotes a week or more preparing students for a concert with the assistance of a professional sound technician and featuring a special appearance by The Garth Prince Band. Under Garth’s guidance, the students perform an uplifting concert for their parents and community on the final day of the residency.
August of 2017 marks a highlight in his life, both personally and professionally.
With the support of the Edmonton Arts Council, he returns to Namibia for the first time in nine years to recreate his Canadian residency experience for the benefit of primary schools in Walvis Bay. His goal is to give Namibian students an opportunity to experience being part of a professional music concert, and inspire them to strive for high levels of excellence in both music and life.
Garth is humbled that a team of Canadian filmmakers has decided to accompany him and transform his trip into a documentary feature film to be submitted to Canadian and international film festivals. Canadian director, Alicia Krawchuk, tells his story on both Canadian and Namibian soil. The residency in Namibia will be mirrored by a Garth Prince residency in Canada, showing North American audiences what life is like in Namibia while simultaneously showing Namibians what Garth’s life is like in Canada. Included in the film will be visits to Walvis Bay, Swakopmund, Omaruru and Windhoek.
For the Walvis Bay concert, Garth reunites with former Afroshine band members Gerson Mwatile and Romano Nauseb, and they will be accompanied by band members Desmond Prins (on bass), Joseph Richer (on keys) and Edwin Mc Mcorney (on drums). The afternoon concert promises to be a fun experience for the coastal community. Attendees will also have an opportunity to be interviewed and provide their comments, some of which will be included in the film.
Garth would like to acknowledge that the success he has attained thus far would not have been possible without the generous support of community members throughout his early career.
Patrons worthy of special mention are the late Ena Venter, former conductor of the Mascato Youth Choir, and local businessman and community builder, Ivan Marshall, the initial manager of Afroshine.

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