New Talent Unearthed At President�s Concert
Dumisani Ncube | Monday November 27, 2017 18:00
The concert was headlined by the likes of Katlego Ntirang, Jordan Moozy, Maru-A-Pula Marimba Band, Mogwana, Botswana Society for Jazz Education (BOSJE) with Leshie Lovesong being the most familiar face at Maitisong Theatre on Friday.
It was a night of music, poetry, dance and storytelling. The acts performed their respective acts, but the production was infused to be one and left the audience in awe.
Mogwana dancers depicted a story of hunters and gatherers in search of water, which proved to be a scarce commodity leading to the actors tiring and collapsing.
The drama was depicted through contemporary dance moves that showed tired and dehydrated beings, with the Maru-A-Pula Marimba Band playing songs such as Reflections 3 Flexi and Bangwaketse.
Just then, Leshie Lovesong and Barolong Seboni came on stage to recite a poetry piece about the natural environment, something that jelled well with the act of the dance ensemble.
The audience was taken away from the theatrical and poetry stance as Jordan Moozy and Katlego Ntirang who jammed a number of soulful songs such as; Mess up a good thing and Sapiosexual. The marimba band and Gaborone Youth Singers followed with a rendition of a Meditation of Nhemamusasa.
The dancers returned. While still in search of the precious water, one Mogwana dancer finally found a source as he quickly drank and gave the rest to his companion. They took the water home and shared with everyone. Upon quenching their thirst, the whole village started dancing as they displayed different routines while Maru-A-Pula Marimba Band played jams such as Kilimanjaro and Bambika.
Another ensemble Botswana Society for Jazz Education (BOSJE) was introduced on stage they belted out saxophone jazz jams, at some point they collaborated with Maru-A-Pula Marimba Band to perform a song titled To kill a snake.
Above all, the event gave a refreshing feel compared to the previous ones that always had the usual faces. This may be a sign that next year’s Maitisong Festival will be much better under the new leadership of Tefo Paya who has shown interest in unearthing new talent. The event was not just for theatre and music lovers, but also a fundraising platform. From the event, Pudulogong Rehabilitation and Development Trust was awarded a donation of P100,000 from the event sponsor, Mascom.