Hertta-Maria Amutenja
The son of the late liberation struggle musician Jackson Kaujeua, Jackson Kaujeua Junior, died in Norway on Sunday morning after a period of ill health, a close family member confirmed.
Kaujeua followed in his father’s footsteps as a musician, carving out his own space in folk and traditional music. He was known for composing and performing songs that carried forward his father’s legacy while shaping his own style.
Local artist Elomotho paid tribute to him, recalling their time in studio together.
“He was vibrant, had a beautiful voice, loved a party and was a people’s person. We had so many jamming sessions and when it was time to record my sophomore album, I did not have to think about it, Jackson Kaujeua Jr was going to be on The System is a Joke,” he said.
Elomotho recalls how Kaujeua eventually ended up opening the album with his voice on the first track Kgala!Namib.
“For the laughs, the songs and the late nights, the memories are written in the book of Life. Much love and light mundu wa ndje. Rest in music,” said Elomotho.
Advertising executive Andrew Weir also expressed condolences.
“Rest in peace Jackson Kaujeua Jr, beautiful soul and the most beautiful voice I ever heard. Another huge piece of my collective spirit and so many fun shared memories leaves us. Sing on,” he said.
Kaujeua’s death comes 15 years after the passing of his father, who used music as a tool of mobilisation during the struggle for independence and became one of Namibia’s most recognisable cultural voices.
The younger Kaujeua had in recent years been based in Norway.
He is remembered as a performer who worked to sustain and reinterpret his father’s work while introducing his own perspective.
Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced.
