09 Apr 2013

When the master of ceremonies announces the next performer on the stage, the crowd erupts into ululations, cheers and a clap of hands. This is not surprising because the artist about to come on the stage is their favourite.

To visitors, necks are craned in eagerness to spot that centre of attraction. Along the narrow aisle towards the opening to the stage emerges an elderly lady in a blue dress, dancing her way onto the stage.

As she takes her place before a panel of judges, she puts on a more sombre face and starts ‘talking’to her setinkane, or ‘nzomaa’ as she refers to the instrument in her native Sesarwa language.

The event is the constituency arts competitions and to the elderly Balatlhelwang ‘MmaMolatlhegi’ Kgope, the competitions are a source of income for her, all the more reason why she should dance her way into the judges’ hearts. “I have neither a husband to provide for me nor any source of income apart from these competitions.

I would like to thank the President for this initiative because it has helped some of us put bread on the table,” said MmaKgope, who has been a regular participant since the competitions started in 2010,” she explains, trying to justify her decision to make a living from performing arts.

“Singing is our culture and it is hereditary in our tribe. I was taught this trade by my late mother,’’ she says.

The 59-year-old from the small settlement of Xhaoga near Tsetseng however, laments what she says are meagre rewards in the competitions, saying if the prize money could be increased, it would go a long way in assisting the unemployed and old like her.

According to her, since the competitions started they have grown in leaps and bounds; the attendance increases every year and the competition get stiffer and stiffer. This, she said, qualifies for the increment in rewards.

She says the competitions’ other major undoing is that payments are normally done late. Another artiste, 46-year-old Kenosi ‘Skepe’ Ditladi of Maboane holds a different view from MmaKgope’s.

“The prize money is okay. Batswana should not expect government to dish out large prize money because the main objective is to prevent our culture from dying. If we were to be paid large amounts it would kill the spirit of the competitions and turn it into a money spinning event,’’ he reasons.

In his view, more prize money will not improve the competition. He says instead, more categories should be included to help resurrect other components of our culture.

“Some of us do not even participate because of the money, we participate because of our love for performing arts, and that should be the spirit in these competitions, not the pursuit of money,” he said.

Mr Ditladi is also content with the level at which the competitions have grown, saying they have become very popular with Batswana. There have been reports that people do not see the necessity of the competitions, and that it is just a waste of money, but Mr Ditladi differs.

“Most of the people who peddle those issues are civil servants. In their view the money should be channelled towards their salary increment, but we ordinary folks see it as a good initiative. I am also aware of rumours that the initiative is merely a political gimmick, but I have been participating in it over the years and have never seen anything political about it,” he said.

The competitions do not attract only the artistes. Like the youthful Phemelo Lekgowe, there is also a large part of the society that comes only to enjoy and appreciate the various arts.

“For us coming from small villages, the competitions have become the much sort after and virtually the only entertainment we have. So we really appreciate the initiative because it gives us the chance to see various artistes at the same time,” he sys.

According to Lekgowe, the competitions have become the blood stream of especially small communities such as Tsetseng, Khekhenye and Kaudwane.

Ever since their conception about three years back, the constituency arts competitions have become popular across the country, especially the traditional instruments category as it is open to all age categories.

This arrangement has allowed seasoned artists to give the youth a run for their money and teach them a lesson or two when it comes to playing traditional instruments.

Many are content that they have lived to their objectives of among others, promoting artistic talent, combating the HIV and AIDS pandemic and more importantly, unearthing talent especially among the youth.

Despite sometimes attracting the wrath of politicians, for the elderly like MmaKgope, they will be waiting eagerly for each cycle of the competitions to start.  Each time it does, they put in all their effort to advance to the furthest level possible, for a simple reason; the competitions put bread on their table, the more reason to dance all the way to the stage and into the judges hearts!  ENDS