Gaborone — Botswana music is back, although it never really went away. It has been burning underneath, bursting out onto the surface.Periodically. It has lied in ruins for some time, but like diamonds it blasted its way out of the belly of rubble to guide national reawakening of the late 1990s.

Judith Sefako, the leader of Ditlholwana Cultural Troupe, has been in the music industry for more than three decades. But she singles out the youth as a source of pride in the revival of culture, especially traditional music.

"Unlike their older colleagues, they did not want to remake Michael Jackson's music, instead choosing to stick to traditional music of their country," she says. She says the fact that pioneers like her made money out of the music resulted in others following suit, hence the current resurgence in the industry.  The pioneer of record label business, Eric Ramogobjwa of Eric Ramco Records casts his eyes back to 1994-95 when he began. Times were hard. He says there were no sales to talk about. "Back then, people did not believe in local products," Ramco says. To him quality was not an issue since his record label has always put out quality recordings. The problem was that Batswana then valued products from South Africa.

How times have changed. Ramco says Batswana are a nation that needs convincing and it has come in two phases. The first awakening, Ramco mentions artists who emerged in the late 1990s such as Alfredo Mos (Alfred Mosimanegape), Phempheretlhe Pheto and Mpho Nakedi who proved that local products are worth buying.

The second awakening was more cultural and this is where Ramco says he made a telling impact. "In 2001 Machesa released Moselele, followed by Tshipidi and the Kora." While Tshipidi went on to win a Kora Award, it was the third album, Kora, that firmly established traditional pop as a commercial genre.

Eric Ramco Records has released albums by Third Mind (hip-hop), Duncan Senyatso (transitional), Jonnie Kobedi (Setswana traditional), Nomsa Otukile (Setwana traditional), Machesa Traditional Troupe (Setswana traditional), Qani (Sesarwa traditional), Kgobola (Setswana-Sekgalagadi traditional), Kast (Motswako), Matsieng (Setswana traditional), and Scar (hip-hop). It is by far the largest catalogue by a local record label.

He says he takes the credit for most development in the music industry. "Eric Ramco Records spun the commercial aspect of traditional music and everyone who sings and sells it owes me money. They now drive fancy cars. It's all because of the risks I took. This is a historical fact. It can't be changed," Ramco adds. He recalls the times when the music popularly known as kwasa-kwasa was the commercial music of Botswana. "At the time I knew its success could not be guaranteed in the long term since the sound was imported. With traditional music, one is assured of its long term future since it is in people's blood and they are proud of it."

The president of Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU), Pheto says there is no straight answer as why local music is now selling. His bet is 'quality,' - first and 'the fact that it is local' - second.

It has been a long journey in this cultural emancipation. Botswana has been a consumer of South African culture and products since the migrant labour system began in the mid-1900s. With radio emerged the stars of the South African music scene that sang in Setswana or Sesotho, such as John Moriri, Mpharanyane, and later Steve Kekana and Johnny Mokgali in the 1980s.

Groups such as Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, Dark City Sisters also had considerable following in the country. Sipho Mabuse, Harari, Stimela, Brenda Fassie and Yvonne Chakachaka's music ruled the 1980s to early 1990s, when a new genre of kwaito emerged. The trend of Batswana as listeners (consumers) of what South Africa released continues to the present day. However, as Pheto puts it, now the 'quality of local and South African music products is at par and this compels people to buy local acts.'

The first act to take South Africans head on was Tribal Monks, the trailblazers of the new hybrids the urban youth music. The group comprised David Molosi (known as Skii, later Skizo), Solomon Bame Monyame (known as Solo-B), I-Q Selolwane and Pongo Rista.

Solomon Monyame and David Molosi doubled up as radio disc jockeys (DJs) in the newly formed youth radio station, RB2. Managed by Olivier Prentout, Tribal Monks undertook a countrywide tour with the backing of Black Label beer. The music was predominantly kwaito with infusion of American Rhythm and Blues and Dancehall. The group proved that a local act could emerge from our shores and stake a claim in the business dominated by South Africans.

Later, Skizo teamed up with South African music production house of Kalawa Jazmee. He released a self-entitled recording, which contained the hit track Tshasa, which became very popular in RB2 and in the dance halls. Monyame, or Solo-B, as he is known, established his own production house in the 90s and went on to write and produce an album for an-all women's group called Brown Sugar. The group released two albums, the debut Days Like This and the follow-up titled Botho. Solo B and Skizo are now record label owners of Small House and Forensics Records, respectively.

They are seen as some of the pioneers in local recording. Pheto also says he senses that there is 'patriotic reawakening' that is sweeping the country and music benefits from this development. Lekoko Entertainment's Seabelo Modibe looks at music as an enterprise that transcends borders. He sees all Batswana speakers as having a common culture, with its inherent problems and opportunities. Perhaps this is because of the fact that Lekoko Entertainment is registered here and in South Africa and releases acts from both countries.

He says the problem that has bedevilled Setswana-speaking musicians is historical. "Since the 1960s, major record labels in South Africa did not recognise Setswana speakers as musical. This treatment was also dished out to Setswana speakers in South Africa. There is no strong catalogue on this genre. But this is changing." Modibe says there is a rush to fill that void. He reckons that more needs to be done. He pulls out results from Recording Industry of South Africa (RISA) survey in 2002 which proved that only two percent of music released in South Africa was sang in Setswana. Modibe says even in the world music catalogue there is little Tswana traditional pop. He says that this ensures that when there is a new release people snap it up, knowing fully well that if it runs out, they will not find it.

"Right now, if you want the late Duncan Senyatso's music it will be difficult to find it because there is no catalogue," Modibe says. He finds the concept of reawakening off the mark, adding that, "people have always understood themselves. And that they can sing in any of their mother tongues, but they were sold a different perception by the major labels".

He says some of the people who buy traditional music are not Batswana because the sound is fresh.