Isaac Pheko
15 October 2008
Francistown — Thapelo Maleka, who goes by the alias MC Maswe, is a man on a mission as he has set out to create his own music genre. He explains that this hybrid music genre mixes mbaqanga and house music.
He is a pioneer in his own right because he has taken a calculated risk by venturing into an uncharted territory. The result is an album that is pleasing to the ear. Maleka said that he has been playing music since 1989 when he played base guitar in a band called Shepherd and the States. "Music is not my first love. I am an experienced master of ceremonies (MC); I also do a bit of stand up comedy. I am hired by clients to entertain guests at their weddings, corporate functions and road shows. I was recently engaged in a Mascom road show," said Maleka. I have also offered my MC services to artists like Vee and Franco during their album launches."
He said his passion is to entertain people and make them laugh. Maleka's album is titled Bosele and it is released under a reputable record label called Dargie Digital Studio (DDS) in Gaborone. "My music does not involve serious issues it is just fun music that people will dance to," he said. The production of the album is impressive as producers hit their mark particularly in blending mbaqanga and house music. Blessed with a velvety voice that could work well in jazz music, Maleka delivers his vocals on the tracks with ease.
However, the album could have done with some female backing vocals to give it an Afro pop feel. The album has quality written all over it even the album cover is well prepared, all the graphics are in the right places, and none of the tracks are half-baked.
It feels like a big budget album that is well done at least by Botswana music standards. In track one Maleka stays true to his comedy roots by delivering humorous lyrics to fast moving dance beats. Track two, Bosele, is my favourite, it is a radio-friendly tune, it is also a jukebox type of track that most revellers should find delightful. Track 10, Maun, is closer to Maleka's heart as it is dedicated to his beloved wife Keolebogile Maleka.
It can also work as a wedding song and the gifted Maleka reveals one of his talents as he delivers Setswana poetry like a virtuoso. Track six, Koko, features hit maker Vee who does not disappoint in the chorus, but does not outshine Maleka. Maleka said that his musical inspirations are the Darky Sisters, Mathlatini and Soul Brothers, all from South Africa."I also listen to commercial reggae by the likes of the late Lucky Dube and Yellow man.
"When it comes to local artists I like Vee and Franco because they are hard workers and I admire their work ethic," Maleka explains. Maleka is happily married and the couple have one daughter.
This album is trying to bridge the gap between older people, who prefer mbaqanga, and the younger generation, who prefer house music and only time will tell whether this formula will work. But from the airtime it is receiving on local radio stations, Maleka's experimental album should soon pay the desired dividends.
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