Ephraim Keoreng
8 January 2009
Thari Ya Ngwao, a new entrant in the music industry has released a six-track album titled Letonoko.
In the title track, of the same name, they pay lip-service to the president's stand against alcohol abuse.
Art and politics have always been bedfellows. In pre-colonial Botswana, poets used to use their poetry skills to praise leaders like chiefs and headmen. They would praise the chief's initiatives and rally the people to welcome the ideas.
The traditional group ingeniously took the well-known song, Bojalwa, which has lyrics like
/Bojalwa jo re a bonwa jo/ showing off alcohol as a lovable drink.
Their song changed the lyrics to sound like:/Bojalwa jo bo leswe wee/ - This alcohol is dirty)
/Dikotsi tse dintsi tse di bakwa ke nnotagi/ - Most of these accidents are caused by alcohol.
Explaining the song the group's leader, Omphemetse Molefe, said that they shared the president's views on alcohol, hence they penned the song to educate the public about the dangers of excessive alcohol intake.
"We have been disturbed by accidents caused by people under the influence of alcohol. We have also realised that most of the people who abuse alcohol are youths and we are pleading with them to desist from doing so as it endangers their future," she said.
She said that besides the song they have good tracks like Sabela, a beautiful Zulu song. Other songs are Thari Ya Ngwao, Batsadi and Banthoi.
The album was recorded at Jem Record whilst the keyboard was played by Bullet Ketshabile also known as 'The King'.
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