Chippa Legodimo
27 August 2008
Disco musician, Bisto Maunge, is a shy man, but his sense of humour is appalling when it comes to composing music.
Remember that funny track Pusha Sekgoropa, which dominated at various drinking spots around the country? Most people who boot the CDs and cassettes of that album were attracted mainly by the clowning lyrics than its melody.
But nothing will stop this self-made maestro from joking around in his music. Even in his eighth album Bisto has composed a track that will make you laugh instead of dance.
Uglyman is the name of the track and those who understand Ikalanga would, especially have their plate full, as the song is mostly sung in that language.
The album is yet to be mastered, but already it promises to be a thriller. The musician took this reporter to his house at Block Five where he is working on it.
He has turned one of his bedrooms into a "studio" with a small digital multi tracker, a computer, a keyboard and some headphones.
He used to do his albums at Dargie Digital Studios but not anymore. Since buying the multi -tracker Maunge says he is able to produce the same quality sound like anyone who works in a large studio with multiple channel mixers.
"This thing (digital multi-tracker) has made my job so easy. Some ideas come to your head while you are in the bedroom and if you do not go and play them and store them they might be gone from your head the following day. So it is important to have all the necessary tools next to you all the time," he said with a grin.
It is here that Bisto has been moulding this Uglyman. Explaining how the song came about, Maunge said that just the other day a picture of a funny looking man with big eyes and a big nose came to his mind and he thought he could shoot a video about that concept.
"It came as a vision and then before thinking of the lyrics, I already thought of shooting a video potraying an ugly man who scares children where ever he goes. I then decided to write down a song and it has come out nicely. I think I will shoot a video before releasing the album itself," Maunge said.
Funny enough, Maunge would not be convinced to play live music at festivals. He admitted that he was too shy to face the crowds and that his dancing was not that good.
"I am really shy, I can joke with people close to me and those I feel comfortable with, but facing big crowds would not be my thing. I cannot do it, I have to be honest," he said.
Many musicians use festivals both as a way of making money from gate-takings as well as marketing themselves, but Maunge is steadfast that money should not be the motivating factor when one chooses a career in music.
"I make music because I have a story to tell. It is like when you have a poem and you do not share it with other people.
You will always have this burning desire that you want to pour out and you do not need money to express your inner feeling.
If my music sells that is a bonus for me, but if it does not bring me much money there in no problem there either. I have a descent job at Botswana Technology Centre and I do not depend on music for a living," he said.
His new album has many fast-paced township style disco and he wants to make the festive season a merry one for the people in the townships.
"I will delay it until the festive season starts when I know a lot of people, especially my fans who are mostly people who reside in the dusty streets, will be in a good mood and have money to buy themselves a copy," he said.
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