Koolkat Motyiko's single unravels rich tribal music tapestry
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Sunday May 5, 2024 04:45
The single, ‘Sebaga sa ngaka’ dropped on April 24 is a banging single that explores the rhythmic elements of tribal music.
The song unravels the rich tapestry of indigenous tribal song and dance.
On the single, Koolkat Motyiko features Kelebogile “HT Tautona” Mabua, who can be described as one of the pioneers of Motswako music in the country with his deep-rooted vernacular raps. He has also roped in Bishop and producer by Lebisto ‘Volcano’ Kopano. Just like Ko Seronga, the artist has not shied away from using his mother tongue, Seyei, reflecting how staying true to one’s indigenous culture can actually have a massive impact on one’s musical journey. The song tells a fictional tale of a man whose son picked up sebaga on his way home.
It paints a picture of how his grandfather, who was a revered traditional doctor had bequeathed his healing power to his grandchild. For the nightmares to stop, the child will have to be taken to an island called Sejwara and begin his calling. However, he will not return if he ever sets foot there because he would become a doctor like his grandfather and live there until his death. “It turns out that sebaga was his grandfather. The boy started having nightmares after and his father refused to take him to a traditional doctor as is the norm in their cultural setting.
There is an island in the Delta (Okavango) called Sejwara. In the song we used it as a place where the traditional doctor stays and that’s where his grandfather lived and died,” Koolkat Motyiko explains. “His father, Rumbe doesn’t want him to go there, there is an alternative of burning it and freeing the boy.
This is a storyline that we hear about all the time in our villages here. 'Storytelling is the heart of our music and when I thought of a song to make, I remembered a conversation I had about the island not that it has what we said in it, we just went creative about having it as a setting and I was eager to create an interesting relatable and vivid story around it,” he added. Koolkat Motyiko said the song also connects to his desire to understand the history of Sejwara Island, so creating a story like this around would spark the conversation. He said his music is about embarking on a journey to discover their roots. He said he knew the song would be deep and rich if he featured Bishop and HT Tautona, whom he describes as fellow storytellers he trusts the most to paint the pictures he had in his mind.