TopCheri was a shy girl growing up. She didn't think she was cut out for a music career because of it. Nonetheless, she broke out of her shell and is now dropping hit after hit. Namibians can't get enough of her. And there's more to her. She doesn't just sing. She is also an author and an actor. What's not to love about TopCheri?
Born and raised in Walvis Bay, Namibia, Monica Pineas, popularly known as TopCheri, is a singer, entrepreneur and author. She was born on 1 August 1991 and is one of eight children – one sister and seven brothers. As of 2021, TopCheri's age is 30.
She remained to be the only girl amongst the seven boys after her only sister died. TopCheri was in graduate school at the time in Windhoek. She was studying TV Production at the College of The Arts. In the aftermath of her sister's untimely death, TopCheri opted to drop out. She was in her second year and her late sister was her only source of support.
Despite all the challenges, TopCheri honed her talent and worked her way up. The best TopCheri songs have won several SANLAM awards, with her most recent being declared the Namibian song of the year in August 2020.
TopCheri’s song ‘Victoria’ is the anthem for her second book titled ‘Love, Sex and Flight Tickets’. TopCheri also released her second single titled ‘Good Man’, which talks about how she prefers a good man over a rich man.
Most TopCheri songs like ‘Victoria’ and ‘Good Man’ received a great deal of love on the radio. This is also true for her hit song 'Hangover' - released in 2018 - in which she has collaborated with Athawise and King Elegant.
With such versatility in her music, it’s difficult to classify TopCheri’s music within a specific genre. A true artist at heart, TopCheri doesn't want to box her music. Nonetheless, she's confessed to having a bias towards dancehall with an infusion of Afro-pop. Whatever her genre of music, her fans are always waiting for her latest hit.
As far as collaborations go, TopCheri has worked with several local artists in her young musical journeys. The likes of Dion, Don Kamati and Jowdy from the House Guru Gang.
She successfully juggles three careers - writing, music and acting. She attributes this to the relationships she has built with people over time that have helped her overcome and eliminate challenges. None of her jobs, music included has taken a hit (no pan intended) despite her travels throughout Namibia for performances.
TopCheri began acting in 2014 when she starred in the film Captain Kalola as Nangula. As the lead female actor, her performance won her a nomination in the upcoming Simply You Magazine Lifestyle awards.
Apart from music, TopCheri also starred in her second film from Omalaeti Productions titled ‘Captain Kalola 2.’ While working on releasing Captain Kalola 2, TopCheri was also simultaneously working on her two major movies, ‘Love, Sex and Flight Tickets’, as well as ‘Walls.’
TopCheri is a successful author with two published books. Her first book is titled “Relationship”, and her second, is “Love, Sex and Flight Tickets”. The latter highlights the modern lifestyle in Namibia.
She is married to her music!
In 2019, TopCheri tweeted: ‘I’m getting married to the most amazing being ever.’
To affirm her commitment to her calling, TopCheri decided to release her sophomore album, The Matrimony. This was in a private and intimate wedding ceremony with guests from the music fraternity. After the ceremony, she decided to go on an album tour to different towns.
As a beginner in music, TopCheri says that Kwaito star The Dogg inspired her musically. She used to perform some of his songs under the name Monica Morocky. TopCheri was shy and did not think singing was something she would take up professionally.
At that point, she used to hang around with Dion from PDK. So when TopCheri would sing along to a song, Dion was always impressed. He encouraged TopCheri to sing and, in fact, even took her to the studio to record some songs. That’s when TopCheri’s first song titled ‘Victoria’ was born.
Soon, TopCheri got employed as a journalist at a local weekly newspaper where she worked for two years. Afterwards, TopCheri moved back to Walvis Bay to look after her mother.
After returning to Windhoek, she started working in the music industry as Mushe's manager. She used to manage artists but eventually, TopCheri chose to focus on her music.
TopCheri’s debut album, ‘Fertile’ represented bringing out something new from within her. In her first song off the album “Star”, she shares her story of home and her life.
The album featured established artists such as Exit, Adora, Tate Buti, Athawise, Princelou and King Elegant, among others.
Already an actress, writer and entrepreneur, TopCheri has undoubtedly found her calling in music. The quality that sets her apart from the other musicians is her marketing skills. The singer uses social media to market herself and she’s been successful because of it.
In February 2021, TopCheri sparked outrage on Twitter after her comments questioning the sexuality of Namibian couples were described by some as controversial and homophobic.
The tweet read: “One day, we should talk about how so many Namibian women are married to gay men. Especially there by my people... they get married to people's daughters so they can hide behind 'wife and kids. Hou julle op! Free people's daughters. One day is not today, nande.”
Although she was immediately criticized, TopCheri stood by what she wrote, saying that her message was not homophobic.
“You read the tweet. There is absolutely nothing homophobic about that. Let's help people find a way to happily live with themselves with who they are. So, nobody should talk on behalf of the straight girl because she is straight and regarded as not special? Her feelings don’t count because she is not gay?” she asked.
Later, in a separate Tweet, TopCheri posted what seemed like the rationale behind the original post:
“My cousin today moved back to her mother's house ... with her three children, one being a seven-month-old baby. Her husband has decided that he now wants to openly love his boyfriend, whom he has seen for three years! All I am saying is do not trap people's daughters!
In October 2020, TopCheri questioned the silence that many female role models, artists and personalities showed amid the #shutitalldown protest in Windhoek. The protests were organized to highlight the brutal and senseless killing of women in Namibia.
TopCheri says she tried to mobilize some celebrity women from the entertainment industry to partake in the protests. However, she was told they were working behind the scenes and did not want to protest publicly.
In a tweet, she made her disapproval known by posting," Iyaaaa omwati Namibia does not have celebrities."
In yet another controversy in May 2020, TopCheri was amongst the 31 people arrested by the police at Funky Lab for flouting the COVID-19 State of Emergency regulations that forbid the gathering of more than ten people.
TopCheri was arrested alongside musicians Panduleni ‘Sunny Boy’ Shipushu, and Joseph ‘Jossy Joss’ Ailonga. TopCheri, Sunny Boy, Manxebe, DJ Ambizzy, Max-T and a few other artists were set to perform in an online concert at Funky Lab.
The arrests happened two hours after the online concert started. The police descended on the nightspot after they were tipped about a large crowd had gathered at the club. The owner of the nightclub, Thomas Nakashole, 34, was also arrested with the group.
They were each fined N$2,000 before they were released.
TopCheri does own a ride. Her first came in 2019. See this tweet. She has posted photos standing in front of a couple of cars including a BMW. She’s captured pictures of herself in front of the white BMW a couple of times. It won’t be far-fetched to suggest that it's hers. Would it?
Early this year, TopCheri gave her fans a glimpse into her house. They got to see her living room, kitchen and bedroom. Where this pretty, little house is, we’ll let you know as soon as we find out.
Currently, TopCheri’s net worth is estimated at $4 million. One of the things that boost TopCheri’s net worth and success in the music business is her ability to aggressively market herself and her music. In addition, she has a great talent for social media, amongst other marketing tools, to ensure that everyone sits up and takes notice.
“Besides everything else, I'm a marketer. Everything that I put out, I know how I'll put it out. I know the ways to do it; I know people I can use to do it. I have strategies, and before I put anything out, I talk to my team, and we discuss what will work and what won't.
What many are not getting right is how they push their music. Just because a song is good, people expect it to blow up by itself, but Namibia is so small that you need to do something extra,” says TopCheri.
Singer TopCheri received the most nominations for the MTC 2019 Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs). TopCheri was nominated in seven categories:
• Artist of the year
• Best female artist of the year
• Best newcomer
• Album of the year
• Best soukous/kwasa
• Best collaboration
• Best afro-pop
She went on to win two awards out of the seven nominations at the 2019 NBC/MTC Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMAs)
She won:
• Best Newcomer
• Album of the Year for her album, Fertile.
TopCheri's Instagram: @TopCheri
TopCheri's Twitter: @Top_Cheri
TopCheri's YouTube: TopCheri What What
She was born in 1991, so TopCheri’s age is 30.
Currently, TopCheri’s net worth is estimated to be $4 million
‘Tithe’ is the name of TopCheri’s new album
In 2019, TopCheri tweeted: ‘I’m getting married to the most amazing being ever .’She was simply affirming her commitment to her calling, which is music.
At birth, TopCheri was named Monica Pineas.
TopCheri was a shy girl growing up. She didn't think she was cut out for a music career because of it. Nonetheless, she broke out of her shell and is now dropping hit after hit. Namibians can't get enough of her. And there's more to her. She doesn't just sing. She is also an author and an actor. What's not to love about TopCheri?
Born and raised in Walvis Bay, Namibia, Monica Pineas, popularly known as TopCheri, is a singer, entrepreneur and author. She was born on 1 August 1991 and is one of eight children – one sister and seven brothers. As of 2021, TopCheri's age is 30.
She remained to be the only girl amongst the seven boys after her only sister died. TopCheri was in graduate school at the time in Windhoek. She was studying TV Production at the College of The Arts. In the aftermath of her sister's untimely death, TopCheri opted to drop out. She was in her second year and her late sister was her only source of support.
Despite all the challenges, TopCheri honed her talent and worked her way up. The best TopCheri songs have won several SANLAM awards, with her most recent being declared the Namibian song of the year in August 2020.
TopCheri’s song ‘Victoria’ is the anthem for her second book titled ‘Love, Sex and Flight Tickets’. TopCheri also released her second single titled ‘Good Man’, which talks about how she prefers a good man over a rich man.
Most TopCheri songs like ‘Victoria’ and ‘Good Man’ received a great deal of love on the radio. This is also true for her hit song 'Hangover' - released in 2018 - in which she has collaborated with Athawise and King Elegant.
With such versatility in her music, it’s difficult to classify TopCheri’s music within a specific genre. A true artist at heart, TopCheri doesn't want to box her music. Nonetheless, she's confessed to having a bias towards dancehall with an infusion of Afro-pop. Whatever her genre of music, her fans are always waiting for her latest hit.
As far as collaborations go, TopCheri has worked with several local artists in her young musical journeys. The likes of Dion, Don Kamati and Jowdy from the House Guru Gang.
She successfully juggles three careers - writing, music and acting. She attributes this to the relationships she has built with people over time that have helped her overcome and eliminate challenges. None of her jobs, music included has taken a hit (no pan intended) despite her travels throughout Namibia for performances.
TopCheri began acting in 2014 when she starred in the film Captain Kalola as Nangula. As the lead female actor, her performance won her a nomination in the upcoming Simply You Magazine Lifestyle awards.
Apart from music, TopCheri also starred in her second film from Omalaeti Productions titled ‘Captain Kalola 2.’ While working on releasing Captain Kalola 2, TopCheri was also simultaneously working on her two major movies, ‘Love, Sex and Flight Tickets’, as well as ‘Walls.’
TopCheri is a successful author with two published books. Her first book is titled “Relationship”, and her second, is “Love, Sex and Flight Tickets”. The latter highlights the modern lifestyle in Namibia.
She is married to her music!
In 2019, TopCheri tweeted: ‘I’m getting married to the most amazing being ever.’
To affirm her commitment to her calling, TopCheri decided to release her sophomore album, The Matrimony. This was in a private and intimate wedding ceremony with guests from the music fraternity. After the ceremony, she decided to go on an album tour to different towns.
As a beginner in music, TopCheri says that Kwaito star The Dogg inspired her musically. She used to perform some of his songs under the name Monica Morocky. TopCheri was shy and did not think singing was something she would take up professionally.
At that point, she used to hang around with Dion from PDK. So when TopCheri would sing along to a song, Dion was always impressed. He encouraged TopCheri to sing and, in fact, even took her to the studio to record some songs. That’s when TopCheri’s first song titled ‘Victoria’ was born.
Soon, TopCheri got employed as a journalist at a local weekly newspaper where she worked for two years. Afterwards, TopCheri moved back to Walvis Bay to look after her mother.
After returning to Windhoek, she started working in the music industry as Mushe's manager. She used to manage artists but eventually, TopCheri chose to focus on her music.
TopCheri’s debut album, ‘Fertile’ represented bringing out something new from within her. In her first song off the album “Star”, she shares her story of home and her life.
The album featured established artists such as Exit, Adora, Tate Buti, Athawise, Princelou and King Elegant, among others.
Already an actress, writer and entrepreneur, TopCheri has undoubtedly found her calling in music. The quality that sets her apart from the other musicians is her marketing skills. The singer uses social media to market herself and she’s been successful because of it.
In February 2021, TopCheri sparked outrage on Twitter after her comments questioning the sexuality of Namibian couples were described by some as controversial and homophobic.
The tweet read: “One day, we should talk about how so many Namibian women are married to gay men. Especially there by my people... they get married to people's daughters so they can hide behind 'wife and kids. Hou julle op! Free people's daughters. One day is not today, nande.”
Although she was immediately criticized, TopCheri stood by what she wrote, saying that her message was not homophobic.
“You read the tweet. There is absolutely nothing homophobic about that. Let's help people find a way to happily live with themselves with who they are. So, nobody should talk on behalf of the straight girl because she is straight and regarded as not special? Her feelings don’t count because she is not gay?” she asked.
Later, in a separate Tweet, TopCheri posted what seemed like the rationale behind the original post:
“My cousin today moved back to her mother's house ... with her three children, one being a seven-month-old baby. Her husband has decided that he now wants to openly love his boyfriend, whom he has seen for three years! All I am saying is do not trap people's daughters!
In October 2020, TopCheri questioned the silence that many female role models, artists and personalities showed amid the #shutitalldown protest in Windhoek. The protests were organized to highlight the brutal and senseless killing of women in Namibia.
TopCheri says she tried to mobilize some celebrity women from the entertainment industry to partake in the protests. However, she was told they were working behind the scenes and did not want to protest publicly.
In a tweet, she made her disapproval known by posting," Iyaaaa omwati Namibia does not have celebrities."
In yet another controversy in May 2020, TopCheri was amongst the 31 people arrested by the police at Funky Lab for flouting the COVID-19 State of Emergency regulations that forbid the gathering of more than ten people.
TopCheri was arrested alongside musicians Panduleni ‘Sunny Boy’ Shipushu, and Joseph ‘Jossy Joss’ Ailonga. TopCheri, Sunny Boy, Manxebe, DJ Ambizzy, Max-T and a few other artists were set to perform in an online concert at Funky Lab.
The arrests happened two hours after the online concert started. The police descended on the nightspot after they were tipped about a large crowd had gathered at the club. The owner of the nightclub, Thomas Nakashole, 34, was also arrested with the group.
They were each fined N$2,000 before they were released.
TopCheri does own a ride. Her first came in 2019. See this tweet. She has posted photos standing in front of a couple of cars including a BMW. She’s captured pictures of herself in front of the white BMW a couple of times. It won’t be far-fetched to suggest that it's hers. Would it?
Early this year, TopCheri gave her fans a glimpse into her house. They got to see her living room, kitchen and bedroom. Where this pretty, little house is, we’ll let you know as soon as we find out.
Currently, TopCheri’s net worth is estimated at $4 million. One of the things that boost TopCheri’s net worth and success in the music business is her ability to aggressively market herself and her music. In addition, she has a great talent for social media, amongst other marketing tools, to ensure that everyone sits up and takes notice.
“Besides everything else, I'm a marketer. Everything that I put out, I know how I'll put it out. I know the ways to do it; I know people I can use to do it. I have strategies, and before I put anything out, I talk to my team, and we discuss what will work and what won't.
What many are not getting right is how they push their music. Just because a song is good, people expect it to blow up by itself, but Namibia is so small that you need to do something extra,” says TopCheri.
Singer TopCheri received the most nominations for the MTC 2019 Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAs). TopCheri was nominated in seven categories:
• Artist of the year
• Best female artist of the year
• Best newcomer
• Album of the year
• Best soukous/kwasa
• Best collaboration
• Best afro-pop
She went on to win two awards out of the seven nominations at the 2019 NBC/MTC Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMAs)
She won:
• Best Newcomer
• Album of the Year for her album, Fertile.
TopCheri's Instagram: @TopCheri
TopCheri's Twitter: @Top_Cheri
TopCheri's YouTube: TopCheri What What
She was born in 1991, so TopCheri’s age is 30.
Currently, TopCheri’s net worth is estimated to be $4 million
‘Tithe’ is the name of TopCheri’s new album
In 2019, TopCheri tweeted: ‘I’m getting married to the most amazing being ever .’She was simply affirming her commitment to her calling, which is music.
At birth, TopCheri was named Monica Pineas.
