20 Aug 2014

Poetry has over the years been an important part of Setswana culture and the use of rhyming words and verses to relay messages still continues today.

Poetry is indeed the cultural pride of Batswana and has over the years experienced a decrease in popularity, but as the country’s first president once said, ‘a nation without culture is a lost nation,’ credit should be given to youthful poetry devotees such as Baboloki Bagwasi for reigniting and making poetry alive.

Born in Bobonong 22 years ago, ‘Kgalapotsane’ as Baboloki is affectionately known, never attended poetry classes. He described his grandmother as a big inspiration to him as she used to do poetry at kgotla meetings and during wedding ceremonies.

He said his creative love for poems and rhyming melodies makes it hard not to fall in love with his poetry. Baboloki’s passion for poetry started at primary school and while doing standard six, the former President, Festus Mogae gave him a goat after he had recited a poem about him at a kgotla meeting in Bobonong.

Baboloki said he never joined any extracurricular activity in school as his passion was poetry and poetry only. He said after completing form three, he lived a very difficult life as he was unemployed, but he opted to focus his attention on poetry and to his surprise, people fell in love with his Setswana poems.

He said he started receiving invitations at kgotla meetings, weddings and other events. Baboloki said in his poems he uses Setswana idioms and jargon which may seem to be very difficult to modern audience to understand.

He said he never writes poems nor prepare them. “When I am invited to an occasion, I just listen to messages as they are delivered by speakers and by the time I hit the podium, the poem just sets in and I would just flow”.

Baboloki said recently, he won P2 500 during the President Day’s competition held at constituency level and with the money he won, he bought performing attire.

Baboloki indicated that his next target is to write a Setswana poetry book as that will give him the opportunity to share his talent with the coming generation and in the process preserve culture.  He praised the President Day competition for sharpening his talent.

He advised the youth with talent to come out in the open and avoid skeptics because to build wealth from nothing is not for people without determination, it is for those who are willing to give their best. ENDS