19 Mar 2013

Folk music has over the years been an essential component of Botswana musical culture and this traditional genre continues to be an integral part of the intangible heritage of the country, a heritage embedded in people’s minds and memories.

In the past, folk music was the toast of the country’s music industry and off late the future seems bleak for this genre as the young generation seems to be more into up-tempo urban music rhythms.   

Gone are the days where Radio Botswana folk lore programme Dipina le Maboko brought the nation to a standstill on Sunday mornings as it used to be a fountain to quench folk devotees’ thirst every Sunday morning.

The death of legendary folk stars and guitarists of repute like Johnnie Kobedi and Malefo Mokha, known to many as Stampore as well as the decline in the popularity of Dipina le Maboko  calls for the resuscitation of the slowly perishing folk music.

However from a tiny village of Letlhakeng in the Kweneng district hails the self-proclaimed new face of folk music. Born in Letlhakeng, 27 years ago and residing in Hukuntsi, Meleko Moshabane aims to resuscitate the slowly perishing folk music and brings it back to the many traditional music enthusiasts.

His admiration for playing a guitar dates back to his childhood days, as he grew up listening to his uncle’s melodies which pulled crowds in many drinking spots in his community.

Meleko, with his self-taught and unique guitar skills, started playing from his home made tin guitar until he received an old hand-out guitar from his uncle.  “Mastering the art of playing a guitar is surely not an overnight task as one has to continually practice in order to get the right tone and perfection,” revealed Meleko.

He stated that his musical style pays homage to such traditions of social hierarchy while using well known folkloric images to evoke the spirit of the land.

While his music thus resonates with the past, it also addresses contemporary issues of identity and the changing social conditions that confront the poverty stricken communities in the country.

Like many folk artists of yesteryear, Meleko currently plays for crowds at drinking spots and shopping complexes, a thing which he said impacts negatively on the progress of many artists.

He is optimistic that his talent will not go unnoticed hence he is hopeful to impress some of the recording labels in the near future.  “It is with regret that a lot of folk legends live under severe poverty despite possessing rich talent and this can be attributed to the fact a lot of them are unsigned and do not get royalties for their talent,” he said. ENDS