Fete de la musique: Cheerful and great vibes

A sizeable crowd had braved the cold weather to attend the show hosted by the Alliance Francaise Gaborone at their Village residence. It was organised in collaboration with Orange Botswana. Despite the uncomfortable weather, the audience was captivated by the diverse musical offerings and performances by local and foreign acts. With an appealing line-up for the younger generation headlined by Dato Seiko, it was no surprise that the youth dominated the audiences. Other artists who were in the line-up are Ubuntu Band, Nirere Shanel, Raptured Roots and FME DJs.

There were also incredible performances by students from Kingdom Arts Academy and Mogoditshane Senior Secondary School. Dato Seiko's unique voice captivated the audience making it a memorable experience for fun lovers who sang along to the artist's soothing tunes. Nirere Shanel's performance was engaging and it brought the international atmosphere. Being an inspiring artist from Kigali, her powerful voice was magical. Nirere Shanel’s poignant songs pay tribute to the victims of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. She calls for unity and heartfelt celebration of Rwanda, showcasing her deep connection to her roots.

Ubuntu Band were on top of their game and left the audience asking for more. The sound was marvellous without any glitches, allowing the artists to give the crowd their best performances. Fête de la Musique or World Music Day as it is also called, started in 1982 when the then French Minister of Culture at the time, Jack Lang, and the director of music and dance, Maurice Fleuret, discovered that five million people in France played an instrument yet the only musical events that were organised concerned a minority of French people. Fête de la Musique was born to allow a greater population of musicians to express themselves and to make themselves known. As such, the festival has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in more than 700 cities in 120 countries, including in Gaborone.