The charisma in Sereetsi�s voice

Chippa Legodimo | Friday August 29, 2014 15:59

 

But once he opens his vocal cords, an astounding level of charisma and artistry erupts.

Those close to him have raved about his guitar playing, but only a few would say the same of the man’s vocals skills.  Perhaps, they were not aware until recently.

Shy by nature, Sereetsi is not the kind of performer who pompously raves about the stage.  The impact of his music is so immense that it is easy for his audience to connect with almost every piece he ushers.

Sereetsi, who many have known as a talented journalist with Mmegi, The Monitor and Echo newspapers, is also a fine acoustic guitar player.

Very few know of his musical talent or theatre skills.  His story in the arts dates back to his school days when he would combine singing with acting in plays.  This passion grew with age.

“People think I have shifted from journalism to music or the arts, but I was an artist before I became a journalist,” he tells Arts & Culture.

Sereetsi has worked with various individuals and a company called RNC doing cooperate productions for big organisations such as the Southern African Development Community.

Theatre has taken the man to various parts of the world including Sweden, England, Maputo, Rwanda and Germany. 

However, the talented Sereetsi has always preferred to be a behind-the-scenes kind of man, writing scripts and songs for other performers.

He first surfaced on the public domain in 2004 when the then Mmegi editor, Mesh Moeti, recruited him for the daily publication.

“I never applied for a job there.  Mesh recognised my journalistic talent and convinced me to join,” he says.

What followed was a series of thought-provoking feature stories that made him one of the most sought-after local journalists.

Although he started doing music in 2000, it could be argued that Sereetsi only started pushing that passion in recent years culminating with the release of his book, The Four-String Guitar Of Botswana in 2013. 

“I started music after I was given an old guitar by a visiting Swedish couple in 2000, which I used to learn.  I have also played drums for Wrust (a rock band),” he says.

Last week, the man who performs as Sereetsi and the Natives stunned the audience with his vocal ability at West Wood International School’s Mantlwaneng hall.

Despite giving such a thrilling performance, he still remains modest about his talent.  He insists that he is ‘not a natural’ but has worked hard to refine his vocals over the years.

“In fact a very small fraction of musicians are ‘naturals’.  A majority of them practice hard to achieve a high level of vocal ability and I believe in hard work. It is funny because at some stage I couldn’t sing a single note but now people tell me how good I am.  I am still working hard on my voice and playing the guitar. Music is the school you never graduate from,” he says.

Sereetsi’s inquisitive mind led him to researching and writing a book about the local four-string guitar popularised by legends such as Stampore, Andries Bok and others.

The book seeks to explain the significance of this instrument as well as illustrates deeper on how best to use it.

The release of the book, which has created quite some hype especially among cultural music enthusiasts, has put the musician in the spotlight as many would expect him to be a shining example of playing the instruments.

“The expectation is that since I have written this book, I should show good command of playing this guitar (four-string).  I believe if I could write a book about it then I am competent enough, but I am a perfectionist hence I have delayed the release of my first album.  I want to release the kind of music that I can play for the rest of my life,” he says.

The album was supposed to hit the music shelves in winter this year but will probably only come out next year.

Sereetsi is currently working on another book, The Cord And Scale Dictionary Of The Four-String Guitar, due for release at the end of the year.

“I do not want the two projects to compete for attention because I see myself as a pioneer.  I am the first person to write that kind of book, so my music should back me up.  People should understand that I am not a book writer or an academic but a musician who writes books,” he says.

Those who have seen him perform solo have wondered where the stage name Sereetsi and The Natives comes from.

The musician explains that the Natives part is representative of him playing ‘music of the people for the people’.

“What I am doing has been done by others. It is basically Batswana’s music. What I am saying here is that I play music for my natives,” he says.

As his music career takes shape, Sereetsi pays tribute to the man who has supported him over the years, Phemelo ‘Chantty Natural’ Moikabi who he credits for nurturing his talent.

The future looks bright for Sereetsi as a talented musician, who just like he was among the most respected writers, could soon be one of the most sought-after performers.