Gazza (musician)

Gazza
Gazza attending an awards ceremony
Background information
Birth name	Lazarus Karandu Shiimi
Also known as	Gazlam, Groote, The King
Born	(1977-03-10) 10 March 1977 (age 40) Oshakati, Oshana, Namibia
Origin	Oshakati, Oshana, Namibia
Genres	Kwaito, hip hop, Afro house, reggae, Dancehall
Occupation(s)	musician, producer, executive foremen
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards
Labels	RC Ghetto Records (2003–04), GMP 2004–present

Lazarus Shiimi, known by his stage name Gazza, is one of the most commercially successful and best selling recording artists in Namibia. Gazza was born on 10 March 1977 in Oshakati (North of Namibia) in a family of seven. At that time, he had to live in a shack behind someone's house after his father died. Despite those modest beginnings, he has always pursued the goals he had set for his life. Gazza has always loved challenges. As a soccer lover, he nicknamed himself Gazza after famous English soccer player Paul Gascoigne.

Since the entrance into the Namibian music scene, Gazza has worked his way up to become the most commercially successful artist in Namibia. He has also become a firm favourite in Namibian households with the young and old alike and has embarked on tours that have expose him to the rest of Africa and the world. He has been well accepted and is a firm favourite with Channel O, a DStv channel, where his work and life is regularly showcased.

His music can be defined as a mix of several influences namely Kwaito, Dancehall, Reggae, Hip Hop and his lyrics are about the township life. His sharp lyrics reflect the intricacies of Namibian life and strike a familiar chord with Namibians from all walks of life, young and old.

To date, he has released 10 albums, all of which have contributed to making Gazza the best selling recording artist of all time in Namibia. Gazza recently released his 10th album titled Ondjila – Long Journey which was launched at The Hage Geingob stadium on 11 October 2014.

Besides being a lyricist and performer, Gazza takes his influence to another level, and amongst others, serves as the Goodwill Ambassador of Education sanctioned by the Ministry of Education as well as an Ambassador for Team Namibia as well as the Back To School Campaign (at the office of the Prime Minister). Gazza believes that education is the backbone that leads to success and makes everyone's dreams come true.

Karandu was born and raised in Othika a small town near Oshakati.From his childhood, Gazza was really interested in music. His passion led him to form a band at primary school. He was fascinated by Kwaito, because in his eyes it represented the Ghetto and talked about the suffering which he could identify with. He attended "Etosha High School" in Tsumeb, where his interest in music was amplified through his involvement in several choirs and his fascination with kwaito. After completing his high school he went to study marketing at Boston College in Cape Town, South Africa where he advanced his love for Kwaito music.