Leburu's Xhaio an instant hit

MPHO TLALE
Staff Writer | Wednesday May 15, 2013 00:00

 

The song is titled Xhaio and is a newly released single by guitarist Kabo Leburu featuring poet Keotshepile Motseonageng, who goes by the stage name, Berry Heart. The word Xhaio is a Sesarwa greeting, equivalent to Dumelang in Setswana and the song Xhaio premiered last Sunday on Radio Botswana's (RB1) Style of Jazz and also featured on Gabz fm's jazz show with Uncle Shima Monageng as well as on RB2's Global Spin and on Duma fm.

Leburu said: 'The song did not have a name and lucky enough when Berry Heart started reciting her poem we got the idea to name it with her first word which is Xhaio. Xhaio is a greeting and it just struck the right cord to be the track's name.'  He said he is pleased with how the song has been received since it was released on Friday.  The excited musician says the song became an instant hit, especially judging from the feedback he has heard. 

Leburu said that Sunday proved to be a busy day on air for his song as it was played at four different radio stations.  On the same day, he also had a live interview at Duma fm with Berry Heart.  Leburu revealed that he worked on the track, Xhaio since 2009 and transformed it so many times before deciding on settling for collaboration with Berry Heart.  He further said that the poem that Berry Heart recites in the song is in praise to him because they wanted to do something different.  He said: 'We have poetry where everything has been almost praised including magosi.'  The collaboration between Leburu and Berry Heart is one of those rare to find joint efforts that manages to capture poetry and music all in one piece.  Berry Heart's eloquent poetic skills complement Leburu's strumming of the guitar  to produce the well intact Xhaio.

The song also captures part of Setswana culture with the use of ululations by Montle Namane who serenade's Berry Heart's poetry with ululations.  Towards the end of Xhaio in the last few seconds there is the use of another element of  Setswana culture which is  the cow bell that leads the song to fade and end.