The guitarist in Cabinet

| Friday May 24, 2013 00:00

 

To many people he is a popular politician - a Cabinet minister and a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) MP for Gaborone North who won a constituency regarded as a Botswana National Front (BNF) stronghold.

Of recent, he has graced the national stage for a skill that few knew about him - guitar playing. Those who have seen him play attest to his great musical skills.Ironically, the very first time he saw a guitar as a child he was very terrified, he tells Mmegi in his office at Government Enclave. He must have been four or five years old.  Seeing men playing the acoustic guitar at Semitwe lands/cattlepost near Sebina, he would think that they could throw him inside the instrument.

The fear dissipated when he increasingly saw the instrument played by some herdboys to appreciative crowds at occasions such as letsema and other related social gatherings.

Rakhudu says at the time, there was a folk instrument called benjo, which was commonly played around the area.He says that the benjo looked like a guitar.'It was awesome, it was magical. I could have never had enough of the guitar,' he says.

But most parents never wanted children anywhere near the guitar. He recalls that his grandfather would break the benjo whenever he found a child playing it. However, his father would later realise his love for the guitar and buy him his first ever electric guitar while he was a student at Moeding College in 1974.

Born in Serowe August 11, 1956, Rakhudu began his primary education at Kgagodi where he continued to enjoy seeing guitarists doing their thing.His interest in learning how to play the instrument grew with time. When his parents relocated to Gaborone, he enrolled at Camp Primary School where he stayed for several months. Lesedi Primary School was under construction then.  Upon completion, he went to complete his lower studies at the new school.

Rakhudu went to Moeding College for his secondary school studies in 1970. Some white teachers at the school were eager to share their music knowledge with students. He singles out one Mr Crawfoot. The teacher gathered some students who were interested in learning music.The teacher happened to be a guitarist and brought his instrument for use by students.

'He gave us some lessons,' Rakhudu remembers.Some of his colleagues from that episode are Mathews Serema, Joseph Tsonope and Richard Tamocha, whom he says was also his mentor. Another was Shine Motlhagodi who was a fine vocalist.Rakhudu narrates that theirs was natural talent, which just required nurturing.He describes himself and his former colleagues as 'self taught'. He explains that unlike the current crop of music students who can read and play, they only had to hear, see and play.

'There was no structured teaching (of music),' he says.  They enjoyed playing at their student hostels. They then joined a village band that belonged to one Huggie Issacs. Rakhudu remembers how they once absconded from school to play with the band in pubs and hotels around Otse and Kanye.

The band comprised, among others, the likes of Nametso Koma on drums, Ofentse Moagi on bass guitar and vocals. Rakhudu was on lead guitar.They later formed a band dubbed In-Crowds. Koma was pulled out of the band by his parents who saw music as a waste of time. They replaced Koma with Lekofi Sejeso. They also recruited Banjo Mosele of Ntsa E Jele Ntsanyana fame to the band. Rakhudu recalls that Mosele was still a novice.

They gave him a number of musical skills.

Rakhudu reveals that he quit music when he got to the University of Botswana (UB) where he studied education in 1977. He says that they did not know that music could be studied at the time and earn one a decent livelihood.He believes that if he had followed the path of music, he would have achieved a lot as a musician.

He adds that if they had thought of joining the Botswana Defence Force, they could have studied music like the late Malombo Mmereki, Socca Moruakgomo and Lister Boleseng. However, all was not lost as they had a musical stint at the UB Music club.

After UB, he taught English and Geography at Kgari Sechele II. He quit the civil service in 1983 and joined Longman Penguin Publishers as a sales representative until he left the company in 1995 as the first ever Motswana CEO. He then joined Macmillan as regional sales director for Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho. He joined the world of politics in 1999. He lost the Gaborone North parliamentary contest to Michael Mzwinila. He later won the seat in 2004 after a short stint as a nominated councillor.

About the outcry from a lot of artists that government has neglected the sector, Rakhudu says although something is being done, it could never be enough. He contends that government has already come up with copyright legislation to protect the arts industry.

Rakhudu adds that government hires a lot of artists at market rates in its programmes.He adds that the President Day arts festivals offer artists an opportunity to showcase their talent. He says music is also now taught in many schools. Rakhudu emphasises that artists should make sure that they take their talent seriously. He says government can only be an enabler by providing opportunities for them.

He says he would also want government to inject more money into the arts industry but it has priorities such as health and education. He encourages continued dialogue between the arts sector and government on how the industry can be improved. Rakhudu says he is trying his best to help the sector as the patron of the Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU).

Among Rakhudu's all-time favourite musicians is the late veteran journalist and pianist Rampholo Molefhe and guitarist John Selolwane. 'I don't know why he has not even recorded his own album to this day,' he says about Selolwane who has flanked stars such as Hugh Masekela and Paul Simon.He admits that they are a lot of young talented artists today. Is he available to work with them?  'You have to come and negotiate with me,' he says.