Sereetsi & The Natives returns with Mmabatho
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Sunday July 14, 2024 06:00
The 10-track album is the well-travelled act’s fourth studio offering and features an A-list of session musos for the project. Mmabatho is a follow up to the debut Four String Confessions (2015), Motoko (2018) and I Am Afrika (2021), which was released amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. “As a teaser of sorts to the album, which has been two years in the making, we have so far dropped three well-received singles from the album - Petere, Gae featuring Mma Ausi and Romela,” said Sereetsi. Sereetsi explained that through the album, he pauses to appreciate the special woman who has been a rock and a source of strength and inspiration in his life. “I do not have gold and silver but a few chords and my lived truth to show my appreciation. It’s not easy being on this path of a life in music. You are more than blessed when you have a partner who can provide you with support at home and professionally.
This was my small way to thank my wife, Kagelelo, for being an invaluable part of my journey. I can look back after more than nine years of doing this thing professionally and see that I couldn’t have done it without her,” he said. He said this warm sentiment finds beautiful expression in two versions of the same song titled Mmabatho. He stated that one is a stripped-down acoustic guitar-heavy number complete with a choir and the other is an electric full-band rendition that is set to be a hit with the wedding scene. “By extension, the song is for everyone in a serious relationship and for wedded couples as well. It’s a celebration of the beauty, strength and support of the women in our lives,” he said. Sereetsi said taking the cue from the collaboration-heavy, I Am Afrika album, Mmabatho also presents Sereetsi & The Natives at work with other accomplished creatives.
The legendary Mosako features on the frenetically paced Rranneu, which captures the stages of chasing a debt in three unique sonic movements. “I composed the song in three parts a’ la classical music. The idea was to capture the various emotional states one goes through chasing debts,” he added. Kabelo Mogwe of the internationally acclaimed Culture Spears stars in Polei-boe, a modern-day boy-hurts-girl-hurts-boy tale of poetic justice. The amazingly talented Mma Ausi brings her great form to Gae, which more or less champions the same theme as Polei-boe. Other notable numbers include Tshumu, Mme, Nako, Petere and Romela. “On keyboards and background vocals we have Motlotlegi Koboto and Jay Chordz Mokotedi with Lereko Lesole on bass. The drummers are Leroy Nyoni and Dylan Lebekwe. On electric guitar we have Thero Julian Seleka and Charlie Tshidiso Nthimole on saxophone,” said Sereetsi. The album is produced by Sereetsi and Mikael Rosen who also enjoys mixing and mastering credits.