Spectacular climax in President�s Day competitions

Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Friday July 25, 2014 14:05

In the background, five giant television screens beamed Botswana’s success stories in silent motion at the Gaborone International Convention Centre.  The videos showed Botswana’s first President Sir Seretse Khama, the diamond story, the beauty of the country’s flora and fauna, and the coming of age of a nation from an agrarian society.

The directors had also put together a highly talented band of players of all kinds of musical instruments, from stinkane to segaba, as they fused the traditional music instruments with modern music culture to amazing effects.

In between the awarding of the prizes, the band would also play the local oldies music that triggered nostalgia.

On the stage, the performing ensemble, choreographed by Andrew Kola of Mophato, opened the scene with colour.

The dance moves infused modernity with a variety of Botswana’s traditional dance repertoire.

Perhaps the most dramatic and heart-warming part of the performance was when the ensemble paid tribute to visually challenged artist, Anafiki with a rendition of Mpolelle Re Ba Bedi.  The remade song allowed for Anafiki to shine on stage as she led the famous song with gusto.

The ensemble also celebrated Botswana’s multilingual poet Moanamisi Jabu Machola with spoken word queen, Mandisa Mabuthoe, featuring in English.

It was a purely Botswana celebration as two of the more famous dikatara players, Solly Sebotso and S’bongi Kgaila also shared the stage with the ensemble to belt out their own tunes.

Sebotso never ceases to steal hearts and on the day, his hilarious song, Machingilane, in which he sings about the life of a security guard in a comic fashion, threw the hall in fits of laughter.

Operatic singer, Tshenolo Batshogile also represented the coming of age of opera.

Pop sensation A.T.I real name Atlasaone Molemogi stole the show as he performed last in the act to amazing acclaim. In fact, he was the only artist to perform for more than 20 minutes, as the mass choir reverberated with his chorus.

It was as if the event was designed for A.T.I who displayed his funky moves, and projected his amazing vocal skills, before the performance closed.