Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
26 May 2009
He kick started his movie career when he starred in the controversial Botswana Television (Btv) hit drama, Norman Moloi's Thokolosi, in 2006.
He played the evil creature in the film. Tabona Seretse, known among his legion of fans in the music circles as Kabila, continues to rise and rise in the filming arena.
On Friday last week, a movie starring the pint-sized actor started hitting the shelves. Chobolo 2 and Chobolo 3 star Kabila as a little kid who has to be carried and hidden in a 'mozimbabwe' bag inside the house because the landlord does not entertain visitors.
It is a crazy lifestyle where Kabila, who stays with his sister in the rented house, has to manoeuvre and beat the watchful eye of the landlord and her hired spy. It is the survival tricks Kabila displays in the comedy that would win the hearts of the viewers.
"The little kid" has to leave the house to relieve himself in the bush without being noticed by the spy or the landlord. Adapting deceptive movements and moving with lightening speed, the kid manages to survive. He hides under the landlord's vegetable table and manages to steal her money while she falls asleep. At one point his sister had to cover him under a bath, just before the landlord could see him. While under the bath the starving kid manages to steal legwinya (fat cake), from a neighbour's plate.
Residents in the compound start suspecting that there is a mysterious creature amongst them, which steals money, food, and other things in their homes. Kabila says he did not hesitate when he was invited to play the role of the naughty kid in the movie.
"Not at all. I did not think they are looking down on me. I jumped at the opportunity to showcase my skills. I think this part is one of my favorites in all the movies I have taken part in.
I rate my performance at the top there with my role in the Thokolosi drama," said the seemingly humble character.
"People are impressed by the latest Chobolo. I received two calls on Friday, and on Saturday four people from Francistown phoned me and said they were proud of my performance in Chobolo," said the man who hails from Tutume.
Kabila has also taken part in a comedy, Ntsoro Part II, in which he acts as MD for a company where Ntsoro, the principal actor is employed.
"I have been approached again to star in the forthcoming movie by DDS studios. So I can proudly say my acting role is shaping up smoothly, which is quite fantastic. I have been auditioning for a week now with a South African production company. They are shooting, "Jerusalem II" drama.
Although some of the parts he has played in the movies are so nasty, Kabila says they excite him. "After Thokolosi, for instance, some people who never knew me before that movie, used to shake with fear whenever they saw me.
I also enjoyed freaking them out. Sometimes during a conversation, I would just freeze for two minutes, and they would start running for their dear lives fearing that I'm the real thokolosi. I like teasing people."
Tabona, 24, got his nickname Kabila because of his kwasa-kwasa dance antics, which he says he enjoys doing more than the movies. "The movies pay me much more than music for sure.
But I just love music. It made me what I am today. I love the vibes I get from the spectators. They phone me, they take me out, and it is beautiful."
Kabila says he has loved dancing since he was doing Standard Seven. After dropping out of a carpentry course at Naledi Brigade, Kabila says he danced for Vee for a long time before joining Wizards of the Desert.
"My dream is to be an international dancer. I want to see myself in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) eventually," he says.
The president of DRC is Joseph Kabila, who replaced his assassinated father Laurent Desire Kabila.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Mmegi/The Reporter. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
