He is one of the most loved artists in Africa and the most influential in Namibia. He has won several awards and is the top-selling Namibian kwaito singer. He has established himself as one of the biggest stars in Africa and the world.
It’s not every day that you come across a musician who’s so crazy about a football star that they name themselves after their icon. That’s exactly what Gazza has done.
Hands up if you know the player that inspired his name? It’s the famous English football player Paul Gascoigne, who also went by the same nickname.
Born in Oshikuku as Lazarus Karandu Shiimi, Gazza grew up in a family of seven. He was brought up under modest circumstances.
His family lived in a shack after his father died. As a result, he had to chip in and help his family survive. This is why he sold cakes, meat and sugarcane after school. Despite his simple upbringing, Gazza always had his eyes trained on the goals he set for himself.
If you are guessing that Gazza explored his musical talent when in school, then you are right. He formed a band in primary school and when he joined Etosha High School, he further explored his musical abilities.
He participated in several choirs before he went on to study Marketing at Boston College in Cape Town, South Africa.
Gazza was interested in music from a young age, particularly in Kwaito. To him, it epitomized the Ghetto and spoke of the anguish he identified with. This is something that’s reflected in Gazza songs.
His passion saw him form a band when he was in primary school. When he joined Etosha High School in Tsumeb, he further demonstrated his interest in music by participating in choirs.
The popularity of Gazza’s albums and songs like ‘Gazza Chelete’ shows that he has worked his way to become one of the most commercially successful artists in Namibia. Today, he is easily one of the favourite musicians in Namibian households.
Throughout his school life, he explored his love for music and developed his musical abilities. After college, he worked as a bank clerk, and then joined an ad agency.
Thereafter, he got employed at an international company, Minolta. That’s when, armed with a laptop, he began making music. He even converted his kitchen into a studio, sacrificed his social life and solely focused on music.
Gazza stepped into the music scene in 2000 after he recorded his first song. In 2001, he established his music label, Gazza Music Production (GMP). The late Roger, Streetkidz, Blacksheep, and Deejay were the first few musicians to be signed under GMP.
Gazza then travelled to London and recorded four tracks. He worked other jobs to raise money to pay for the studio. In 2003, he released his first album Tanauka.
Owing to his talent, extraordinarily good music and fantastic stage presence, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) selected Gazza in 2006, to do his first official musical tour that spanned seven African countries amongst them - Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. He was one of the first Namibian artists to do so. One of the earlier hits by Gazza, Mokasie, was released in 2007.
Gazza’s music can be defined as a mix of numerous influences, namely Kwaito, dancehall, reggae, and hip hop (Swagga, Gazza song from 2016). His lyrics represent township life. Namibians, young and old, love his lyrics as it captures the particulars of Namibian life.
Gazza has been launching songs from his latest album Messiah in partnership with fast food company KFC. The album has 16 tracks and features international music stars - Nigerian Richard Assani, Tanzanian artist Wini plus a third artist yet to be revealed.
The album is launching over the coming weeks and fans can unlock a song by purchasing a KFC Zula bucket.
Gazza’s Misunderstood, his 12th full-length album, with a total of 16 tracks was released in 2019. One of Gazza’s latest music videos, 'Tala Kaantu', could easily be the last music video of the album. The video was shot in Mauritius, he stated, but its release was delayed.
Gazza’s Only You, one of his latest, hit the charts in 2020. Another song from the same album - Boss, Gazza’s Seelima, was a chartbuster too.
Gazza declared that he has about six collaborations on the new album.
Besides being the phenomenal musician that he is, Gazza is also recognized for his sharp business acumen. He has his record label GMP, got into fashion and established his clothing line. In 2009, Gazza launched a range of nine different flavoured sparkling mineral water known as "G-fresh".
Gazza is a family man. He considers his family as his greatest accomplishment. He is married to Golden Shiimi, with whom he has two sons. The couple has been married for over a decade and is still going strong years after they got hitched.
Gazza grew up in a family of seven that included his mother Eunice, father Erastus, and four siblings. Although much is not known about his siblings and parents, he lost his father at a young age and had to help his mother take care of the entire family.
An inspiring story he has but just like other celebrities, Gazza has been embroiled in numerous problems. On several occasions, he’s been on the radar of the legal justice system. In 2011, Gazza faced murder charges. He was accused of shooting his brother-in-law after he allegedly tried to take a laptop from his house without his consent.
While Gazza admitted to firing a shot at his brother-in-law, he denied charges of attempted murder. According to him, he acted in self-defence.
His other encounter with the law came when he was allegedly linked to the murder of Hip Hop star Jericho. Gazza denied the rumours.
By the time of writing, Gazza drives a BMW 330i. He previously drove a Kia Sorento in 2013.
Gazza has shared photos of his house on Instagram. He lives in a beautiful house, one of those that comes with the best furnishings.
While that may not be much detail, I don’t think anyone will be surprised if they found out it is a mansion. What do you think? Do you know where it’s located? Please, let us know. In the meantime, take a look.
Gazza’s net worth has significantly risen in 2019-2020. In 2020, he was estimated to be between $1 Million – $5 Million.
Gazza is indisputably a popular music artist in the Namibian music scene. He has won several accolades as he continues to enjoy even greater success. Amongst his many achievements, Gazza has 30 awards and 12 albums to his name.
2006 was a year to remember for Gazza. He became the first artist in Namibia to receive six coveted awards at the annual Sanlam NBC Music Awards. He also scooped the Artist of the Year award as well as three accolades at the Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMA).
The Artist of The Decade Award: In 2020, Gazza won The Artist of The Decade Award which is bestowed upon artists who have earned the most awards over the 10-year NAMA period.
Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMA) 2017: In 2017, Gazza captured four awards at the Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMA); Best Collaboration, Best Album of the Year (for Pumumu), Male Artist of the Year, and a Special Recognition Award for his contribution to the Namibian Music industry in the last 15 years.
NAMAs 2014: In the NAMAs 2014, Gazza’s Blood Sweat and Tears album won him two awards for 'Best Music Video' and 'Artist of the Year.'
NAMAs 2013: Gazza’s ‘Boss’ album won three awards at the NAMAs in 2013 for best house, best music video and best collaboration.
Best Music Video of the year 2011: Gazza’s Cosa Nostra: Lafamilia won three awards at the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) with the song ‘Shukusha’ from the album winning 'Best Music Video of the year 2011'.
Best Kwaito Music Video 2007: Gazza won the best Kwaito Music Video for his hit song ‘Mokasie’ at the Channel O Spirit of Africa Music Awards held in Johannesburg in 2007. A tough category to compete in because he was up against South Africa's best.
For his exceptional music, and producing quality hits year after year, Gazza has won the Namibian Annual Music Awards 18 times over the past 10 years.
In 2007, Gazza was made the Goodwill Ambassador of the Ministry of Education. He visited 50 Schools in the Oshana, Otjozondjupa, Otjikoto, Erongo and Khomas regions to encourage young students to make education their priority.
The Most Outstanding Young Namibian Award: JCC Namibia honoured him with The Most Outstanding Young Namibian Award after he returned from his South African Tour.
National Youth Ambassador: Gazza was given the honour of being the National Youth Ambassador by the Namibian National Youth Services Commission.
In 2016 he played a big role in the United Nations Information Centre Windhoek’s campaign to conserve water by taking shorter showers.
Gazza's Instagram: @Gazza467
Gazza's Facebook: Gazza467
What is Gazza’s real name?
Gazza was born Lazarus Shiimi.
How old is Gazza?
Born on the 10th of March, 1977, Gazza is currently 44 years old.
He is one of the most loved artists in Africa and the most influential in Namibia. He has won several awards and is the top-selling Namibian kwaito singer. He has established himself as one of the biggest stars in Africa and the world.
It’s not every day that you come across a musician who’s so crazy about a football star that they name themselves after their icon. That’s exactly what Gazza has done.
Hands up if you know the player that inspired his name? It’s the famous English football player Paul Gascoigne, who also went by the same nickname.
Born in Oshikuku as Lazarus Karandu Shiimi, Gazza grew up in a family of seven. He was brought up under modest circumstances.
His family lived in a shack after his father died. As a result, he had to chip in and help his family survive. This is why he sold cakes, meat and sugarcane after school. Despite his simple upbringing, Gazza always had his eyes trained on the goals he set for himself.
If you are guessing that Gazza explored his musical talent when in school, then you are right. He formed a band in primary school and when he joined Etosha High School, he further explored his musical abilities.
He participated in several choirs before he went on to study Marketing at Boston College in Cape Town, South Africa.
Gazza was interested in music from a young age, particularly in Kwaito. To him, it epitomized the Ghetto and spoke of the anguish he identified with. This is something that’s reflected in Gazza songs.
His passion saw him form a band when he was in primary school. When he joined Etosha High School in Tsumeb, he further demonstrated his interest in music by participating in choirs.
The popularity of Gazza’s albums and songs like ‘Gazza Chelete’ shows that he has worked his way to become one of the most commercially successful artists in Namibia. Today, he is easily one of the favourite musicians in Namibian households.
Throughout his school life, he explored his love for music and developed his musical abilities. After college, he worked as a bank clerk, and then joined an ad agency.
Thereafter, he got employed at an international company, Minolta. That’s when, armed with a laptop, he began making music. He even converted his kitchen into a studio, sacrificed his social life and solely focused on music.
Gazza stepped into the music scene in 2000 after he recorded his first song. In 2001, he established his music label, Gazza Music Production (GMP). The late Roger, Streetkidz, Blacksheep, and Deejay were the first few musicians to be signed under GMP.
Gazza then travelled to London and recorded four tracks. He worked other jobs to raise money to pay for the studio. In 2003, he released his first album Tanauka.
Owing to his talent, extraordinarily good music and fantastic stage presence, the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) selected Gazza in 2006, to do his first official musical tour that spanned seven African countries amongst them - Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. He was one of the first Namibian artists to do so. One of the earlier hits by Gazza, Mokasie, was released in 2007.
Gazza’s music can be defined as a mix of numerous influences, namely Kwaito, dancehall, reggae, and hip hop (Swagga, Gazza song from 2016). His lyrics represent township life. Namibians, young and old, love his lyrics as it captures the particulars of Namibian life.
Gazza has been launching songs from his latest album Messiah in partnership with fast food company KFC. The album has 16 tracks and features international music stars - Nigerian Richard Assani, Tanzanian artist Wini plus a third artist yet to be revealed.
The album is launching over the coming weeks and fans can unlock a song by purchasing a KFC Zula bucket.
Gazza’s Misunderstood, his 12th full-length album, with a total of 16 tracks was released in 2019. One of Gazza’s latest music videos, 'Tala Kaantu', could easily be the last music video of the album. The video was shot in Mauritius, he stated, but its release was delayed.
Gazza’s Only You, one of his latest, hit the charts in 2020. Another song from the same album - Boss, Gazza’s Seelima, was a chartbuster too.
Gazza declared that he has about six collaborations on the new album.
Besides being the phenomenal musician that he is, Gazza is also recognized for his sharp business acumen. He has his record label GMP, got into fashion and established his clothing line. In 2009, Gazza launched a range of nine different flavoured sparkling mineral water known as "G-fresh".
Gazza is a family man. He considers his family as his greatest accomplishment. He is married to Golden Shiimi, with whom he has two sons. The couple has been married for over a decade and is still going strong years after they got hitched.
Gazza grew up in a family of seven that included his mother Eunice, father Erastus, and four siblings. Although much is not known about his siblings and parents, he lost his father at a young age and had to help his mother take care of the entire family.
An inspiring story he has but just like other celebrities, Gazza has been embroiled in numerous problems. On several occasions, he’s been on the radar of the legal justice system. In 2011, Gazza faced murder charges. He was accused of shooting his brother-in-law after he allegedly tried to take a laptop from his house without his consent.
While Gazza admitted to firing a shot at his brother-in-law, he denied charges of attempted murder. According to him, he acted in self-defence.
His other encounter with the law came when he was allegedly linked to the murder of Hip Hop star Jericho. Gazza denied the rumours.
By the time of writing, Gazza drives a BMW 330i. He previously drove a Kia Sorento in 2013.
Gazza has shared photos of his house on Instagram. He lives in a beautiful house, one of those that comes with the best furnishings.
While that may not be much detail, I don’t think anyone will be surprised if they found out it is a mansion. What do you think? Do you know where it’s located? Please, let us know. In the meantime, take a look.
Gazza’s net worth has significantly risen in 2019-2020. In 2020, he was estimated to be between $1 Million – $5 Million.
Gazza is indisputably a popular music artist in the Namibian music scene. He has won several accolades as he continues to enjoy even greater success. Amongst his many achievements, Gazza has 30 awards and 12 albums to his name.
2006 was a year to remember for Gazza. He became the first artist in Namibia to receive six coveted awards at the annual Sanlam NBC Music Awards. He also scooped the Artist of the Year award as well as three accolades at the Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMA).
The Artist of The Decade Award: In 2020, Gazza won The Artist of The Decade Award which is bestowed upon artists who have earned the most awards over the 10-year NAMA period.
Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMA) 2017: In 2017, Gazza captured four awards at the Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMA); Best Collaboration, Best Album of the Year (for Pumumu), Male Artist of the Year, and a Special Recognition Award for his contribution to the Namibian Music industry in the last 15 years.
NAMAs 2014: In the NAMAs 2014, Gazza’s Blood Sweat and Tears album won him two awards for 'Best Music Video' and 'Artist of the Year.'
NAMAs 2013: Gazza’s ‘Boss’ album won three awards at the NAMAs in 2013 for best house, best music video and best collaboration.
Best Music Video of the year 2011: Gazza’s Cosa Nostra: Lafamilia won three awards at the Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) with the song ‘Shukusha’ from the album winning 'Best Music Video of the year 2011'.
Best Kwaito Music Video 2007: Gazza won the best Kwaito Music Video for his hit song ‘Mokasie’ at the Channel O Spirit of Africa Music Awards held in Johannesburg in 2007. A tough category to compete in because he was up against South Africa's best.
For his exceptional music, and producing quality hits year after year, Gazza has won the Namibian Annual Music Awards 18 times over the past 10 years.
In 2007, Gazza was made the Goodwill Ambassador of the Ministry of Education. He visited 50 Schools in the Oshana, Otjozondjupa, Otjikoto, Erongo and Khomas regions to encourage young students to make education their priority.
The Most Outstanding Young Namibian Award: JCC Namibia honoured him with The Most Outstanding Young Namibian Award after he returned from his South African Tour.
National Youth Ambassador: Gazza was given the honour of being the National Youth Ambassador by the Namibian National Youth Services Commission.
In 2016 he played a big role in the United Nations Information Centre Windhoek’s campaign to conserve water by taking shorter showers.
Gazza's Instagram: @Gazza467
Gazza's Facebook: Gazza467
What is Gazza’s real name?
Gazza was born Lazarus Shiimi.
How old is Gazza?
Born on the 10th of March, 1977, Gazza is currently 44 years old.
