02 Sep 2014

After a week of musical and cultural activities, the biggest event in Botswana, Gaborone International Music and Culture Week (GIMC) which was themed “Celebrating diversity, celebrating MaGeba”, came to an end on a high note at Botswana Craft for a mature audience over jazzy melodies.

The Jazz Festival was started by award winning Hip Hop artiste Zeus who did not manage to perform at the previous event the International Music Festival.
Zeus upped the tempo to give way to Helen who serenaded the audience with her soulful voice that had an acoustic jazz melody and a more poised side of her.

Helen performed songs that where somewhat soulful and she mentioned will be included in her album that will be released end of September. Some of the songs she performed that got the oldies dancing included Gae which had a touch and tantalising sound of Judith Sephuma.

Lister Boleseng also rose to the occasion, exhibiting some artistic experience in his famous saxophone whilst dancing to one of his famous songs Kulenyane and Wa ntsietsa. With him on the vocals was Preety Mothobie as he turned the lower key to up the tempo.

The performance of the night was a young man by the name Shane Cooper who is raving waves in Cape Town, South Africa. Mr Cooper performed at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival, and was named Standard Bank youngest jazz artist of the year.

For the jazz lovers, Shane Cooper and his band reminisced the 70s jazz of the likes of Weather Report, although they added a groovy urban pop tone to their performance.

They began their set with a song named Tuffa Trader, Sumber in the air and ended it with a viby song titled slim trim.
The Jazz Festival was the last lap of the GIMC and it ended in quiet a way to close up this magnificent week of celebrating culture, diversity, music and arts in Botswana.

According to Fish Pabalinga of Leapfrog, they prepared well for the event and security was on high alert as they employed over 300 security men and bouncers.

Pabalinga also added that “this was certainly one of the most exciting projects we have undertaken in recent years and the whole Leapfrog team is geared towards giving Botswana an event they will remember for years to come.”

The GIMC is said to be an annual event that will certainly carve its space within the regional music and arts week.

Meanwhile Omphile Ntakhwana reports that music lovers were also on Saturday August 30 treated to a star studded line up of local and international artists at the inaugural Gaborone International Music festival held at the National stadium.

The event lived up to its early hype of being a banger as artists dished out song after song much to the appreciation of fans who thronged the National Stadium for some much needed entertainment.

With artists that included Vee, Zeus to South African heavyweights such as Judith Sephuma, Zahara and Donald, the night was full of excitement as artists tried to outdo each other with their performances.

Unlike other shows where foreign artists take centre stage, the night belonged to local entertainers as they were the main acts and was rather supported by artists from South Africa. ENDS