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Botswana: Mhlanga Releases Eight-Track Album
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
3 July 2008
Posted to the web 3 July 2008
Lekopanye Mooketsi
Botswana Defence Force (BDF) Band muso Philip Mhlanga has released an eight-track album entitled Tau tsa Nhabe.
You may call his music Afro jazz/pop because even Mhlanga himself has no precise definition for his beat. He leaves that to the discerning listener.
To him, music is music and he did not want to restrict himself to a particular genre. Some of the tracks in the album sound like Kwasa Kwasa. But his CD proves that he is a versatile musician.
Mhlanga said his album is rich with different messages.I can work with any style. I do not play one style of music. People define my music as jazz, but everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. To me, jazz is very broad."
He said the response to his album has been positive. Local radio stations like Gabz fm and Duma fm have been playing the CD on their jazz programmes.
Mhlanga explains about his songs on the sleeve of the CD. The number one, Mmaoweledi, he said, is a fictitious name given to the character he sings about. The song is a tribute to the people who had at one point lost their friends and siblings due to depression.
The second track, Madolo, is a tribute to the late Livingstone Madolo Paledi. Mhlanga believes that Madolo was the fine bass guitarist to have ever come of this country.
"Dollar, as he was affectionately called, used to emphasise the importance of taking music seriously, and always talked of the importance of teaching youths how to play musical instruments."
On the title track, Tau tsa Nhabe, Mhlanga sings about the life in the dense forests of Nhabe, which can be life threatening at times, with man-eating lions menacingly roaming.
The track Ganda Ganda, reminds Mhlanga of his late father whose favourite music style was Rhumba. The song is a tribute to his late father.
Another track, AIDS, warns about the devastating effects of the killer disease while the track Rapula, celebrates heavy rains. Mhalanga says when it rains, everything comes to life and naturally everywhere and here it is time for ploughing.
Red Card is dedicated to all the guys who were fired by girlfriends in their relationships. The singer is appealing to men to stop the so-called "passion killings".
Bagaka is a dedication to the fallen heroes like the late Ratsie Setlhako, Nona Poifo, and Duncan Senyatso. Mhlanga does not forget the late BDF band drummer, Dragon Montshioa who was an inspiration to him.
Some of the musicians who backed him in this project include Gavin Bantom, Barney Mhlanga, Gomotsegang Rapoo, Joe Barwabatsile, Lister Boleseng, Andrew Chinyanga, Fans Motshwengwa and Power Simololang.
Mhlanga said he composed some of the tracks in the album seven years ago. Born and bred in Gaborone, he said just like his late father, he has always loved music.
Mhlanga shares his love for music with his friends some of whom became musicians like Tobias Magodi. But he had never imagined music would be his career even when he joined the army.
It was only when they were deployed to Mozambique on a United Nations (UN) assignment in the late 90s that he embarked on a musical journey.
He took along with him a piano so as to kill the boredom. Mhlanga said one of his colleagues, who was more advanced musically, also brought a keyboard. Mhlanga who was on a learning curve, practised with his army colleague.
When he came to the country, he attended a music school under the tutelage of renowned drummer, Makwenkgwe Mengwe.
He also took lessons at home. He set himself a target that in five years time, he should be playing for a band. His dream was realised when he joined a church group. He later joined a local group, Jazz Impromptu, which he still plays for as drummer.
Mhanga credits the late Montshioa as one of the people who mentored him in music. Montshioa was also the drummer in Jazz Impromptu. Mhlanga inherited his drums and place in the BDF band.
One thing that Mhlanga appreciates about Jazz Impromptu is that there is individual freedom for members of the group. "If you want to embark on a solo project, you are allowed to do so," he said.
This has kept members of the group together for a long time because they are able to work on their projects and come back to the band. Mhlanga said at one stage, the group gave him the go-ahead to work with Boleseng. Mhlanga has also established another project, Drummers Anonymous on which he intends to work with the youth.
He wants to teach youngsters from low-income areas about music. He said the project might culminate in the formation of a drummers' ensemble. It would also keep the youth from the streets. With this project, Mhlanga asserted that they would be able to share their skills with youngsters.
He said that there would also be a pool of musicians who are trained. "There is so much talent locally, you do not need to go to South Africa to source musicians," he said.
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Another project that he speaks proudly a was his participation in the Mma Ramotswe film, which was shot in Botswana last year. Mhlanga was playing the drums in the nightclub scene of the film.
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