Berdy Miles, teacher with a passion for music

Lylie Joel

RUNDU – Namibian musician Herberd Katura, known as Berdy Miles from the Kavango region, is building a career with songs rooted in personal experience, cultural sounds, and educational messages.

A teacher by profession, Miles has pursued music alongside work, navigating limited resources while developing a solo career and collaborating with established artists.

Miles began singing along to recorded songs in Grade 10 and started performing and dancing in Grade 12. Music became a way to express life’s challenges and connect with listeners.

“I like sharing information that I go through or what people are going through, and that’s through music,” Miles said in an interview.

After meeting university friends Ez and Neko in 2015, Miles formed a musical team with them. They recorded songs including ‘Ndapewa’ and ‘Flower Girl’ and performed at events at Rundu campus. After university, the friends went their separate ways, and Miles continued as a solo artist.

The transition came with practical challenges, like recording and paying for beats, which were difficult without enough money.

Still, Miles built a relationship with producer Scott Lamb of Sir Ferin Records, who offered support. Among the songs that helped raise Miles’ profile is ‘Sugu’ featuring Jimmy M.I.G., whose video and social media popularity brought the track to a wider audience. Other releases include the solo offerings ‘Command Ende and Nagazare, featuring M-GEE; Miles said a video for the latter is expected in October.

A qualified teacher who has taught for three years, Miles treats music as a part-time pursuit and prioritises work.

“I always find the time for my work before my music,” Miles said, explaining that writing often happens on paper during the week, with music taking priority on weekends and holidays.

The songs draw on Afrobeat and traditional styles. Miles said the music is intended for listeners of different ages, with tracks such as ‘Erongo’ carrying educational themes and ‘Ruheporange’ reflecting on personal struggles.

“We don’t sing for ourselves, but we sing to educate people.”

Miles also urged event organisers to give emerging musicians more chances to perform at major shows, arguing that such platforms can help them build audiences and gain recognition. For artists starting out, Miles recommends actively approaching organisers, promoting music on TikTok, connecting with established performers, and taking smaller opportunities to prove their ability. On artificial intelligence, Miles said it can be useful for practice but warned against relying on it to create music. The artist believes musicians need to develop original ideas and preserve the character of local languages in their work.

Miles is available for bookings and collaborations. He said that the ‘Sugu‘ album is about 95% complete, with 21 recorded songs to be trimmed to 18 for its final release.

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