Lekopanye Mooketsi
11 June 2008
Gaborone — "There is music in the air", hums South African songbird Letta Mbulu in one of her songs. Mbulu, the wife of respected songwriter and master producer, Caiphus Semenya, could have been referring to Botswana music.
Botswana music is beginning to take centre stage as local groups entertain music lovers day in and day out. There has been a revolution taking place in as far as local music is concerned.
Since the 90s, many music groups have sprung up in the country. Names like Franco, who became an overnight idol, have emerged on the scene. There are also youngsters who have made their mark like the pint-sized Vee. Vee is arguably one of the local artistes commanding a large following. You should only attend one of his album launches to see how much power he wields in music.
As the Vees of the music world cater for the younger generation, older music lovers have not been forgotten. There are several Afro pop/jazz groups, which have taken up the challenge. Satchmo's Jazz Cafe, Jazz Brew, Millennium Jazz Restaurant and Eros in Tlokweng are some of the venues that cater for this jazz genre. The good thing about these joints is that they also offer live music shows. On Saturday, Botswana's cultural ambassador Banjo Mosele was starring at Satchmo's. Banjo is based in Norway but he always shuttling between that country and Botswana. For him, home has always been home. Banjo is clear about his cultural identity.
Despite the fact that he has been based in Europe for close to three decades he still sings in his mother tongue. His music has not changed as he sings about culture, thus promoting Setswana culture, even overseas. Banjo was backed by veteran muso Malombo Mmereki. Their combination on the stage was quite awesome. Banjo also brought Molepolole-based folklore singer Stampore with him. Stampore was a marvel to watch as he strutted his box guitar. The folklore singer did one of his popular songs Ga modimo a ka nthusa bogolo ka e bona ka matlho, which means God should help him realise certain dreams. It appears that Banjo is always willing to share his international experiences with other local artists.
At a separate venue, another local giant, Ndingo Johwa performed at Eros pub in Tlokweng on Sunday. For quite some time, Eros has remained a popular jazz joint. Management has started to host live shows in the beer garden. As always, Ndingo was in his element. He enthralled the audience with his Katanga songs. Just at a time when there were xenophobic attacks against foreigners in South Africa, Ndingo denounced xenophobia in one of his songs. Ndingo's bassman was doing wonders with his bass guitar. As Ndingo told the appreciate audience, "Brian can even make the guitar talk". The bass man proved to be quite capable. On the lead, there was the accomplished veteran, Zakes Gwade. The thatched stage at Eros is perfect for cultural music. The mural in the background added colour to the cultural set up.
Later in the evening, Satchmo's featured a new jazz band called Lion Paw. The group can play anything from mainstream to township jazz. They have also composed their own songs that will be recorded before end of this year. One of the songs is entitled Majase and it is quite a good track. The group is inclined to township jazz. Lion Paw will be the resident band at Satchmo's, performing on Thursdays and Sundays. Kesaobaka "KK" Kooreng of Radio Botswana (RB) did justice to the band's music the moment he entered the club. KK was attracted to the band's music. His repertoire is so impressive that the band would do well to hire him as their front man. Even other patrons appreciated KK's dancing style.
Not only is he a shrewd dancer but KK never shies away from the dance floor. Even when he is alone on the dance floor, he can dance the night away. When he enters a nightclub, he shoots straight to the dance floor. At times he is be garbed in a pantsula style.
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