Once a popular artiste alongside his Mosako Stars band, Fresh Les as he is commonly called in the industry, says his return to the genre that earned him a name in the music industry is decisive and calculated following his failed attempt back in 2020.
Now, his comeback coincides with an era when a new genre, Amapiano has dominantly taken over the music industry. However, Fresh Les who also serves as the Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) president, says he is poised to change the narrative and make Kwasa Kwasa fashionable again.
Although the album has not been officially released, he has already dropped a single titled, Ware Ke Reng, which he says is meant to dispel any doubts about his imminent return. “It’s been years for me planning to return to Rhumba but there were hiccups there and there.
I wasn’t prepared in 2020 and that derailed my return. I had to find a way; a different signature on how to approach the market. But I ended up deciding to use my previous old signature,” he said. He stated that he believes his fans will relate easily with his music if he maintains his signature. “At the time I did my songs, I felt that I was too advanced by then. So, I decided to go back to my signature, which I last used 14 years ago.
I have already released a single called Ware Ke Reng.
In the album, I have also compiled some of my previous songs, some which did not do well in the market, and some which were not released to make an album of eight songs,” he added. While there is perception that Rhumba music is no longer popular in the country, Fresh Les believes otherwise, and argues that "Rhumba music rules Africa, and the world out there has shown significant appreciation of the music”.
He explained that in Botswana, the genre continues to grow in relevance. Explaining what let him to ditch the genre for Jazz music, Fresh Les said his decision was largely due to the introduction of new regulations in 2008 that resulted in the reduction of entertainment hours.
“Now I want to make music that will appeal to the international audience and shake the local industry. It will be a bit different to what the people have been listening to locally, but I will maintain my old signature,” he said. The album launch is scheduled for September 24 at Fora Farm in Kumakwane.
