11 Oct 2015

Choral music enthusiasts should brace themselves for a mind blowing live choral music diplay by choral heavyweights, KTM choir.

This year’s local composers (LCS) show edition is billed for Maitisong on November 1. This would be to celebrate a three-year relationship between Liberty Life Botswana and KTM choir. 

This time around, the show would have a bit of a twist that includes a live recording of the group’s first live video compilation.

According to KTM’s spokesperson, Mike Modise, the concept came about in 2011 solely to promote Botswana music culture. The idea was to give support and encourage composers to create Botswana oriented materials.

“Back in the days, we were all aware of choral competitions which staged South African composed music,” he said. Modise noted that when KTM was formed the idea was to promote and produce local materials hence the reason they gave efforts to recognise the works of Batswana promoters.

He added that in 2011, the LSC performed 10 of Batswana materials, eight of the composers where those already established.  Since then, he said, they unearthed eight new composers. Furthermore, Modise said, “before, we did not have orchestrators in Botswana, but since LCS we have such people in our country.”

An orchestrator writes scores for orchestras, bands, choral groups and individual instrumentalists or vocalists. This involves transposing a score for a song into a key that may be more suited for a vocalist to perform.

He said after composers have done their work, they gave it to Batswana orchestrators to work their magic on the piece, though some songs were still sent to South Africa for putting some different tune and giving the music a different fill.

“We are grateful for the support we are getting from Liberty Life Botswana, since our commitment with them, they have helped us to reach imaginable milestone,” he said.

Modise said their work consisted of writing a lot of songs and at times they had to print songs, which took about eight pages and they had to make copies for each member.

Modise said the donation came at the right time, “we are a choir with less resources since most of the members are students therefore this donation will help us.” 

He described KTM choir as the trend setter and the composition of what the choral music is today. He cited great singers like afro jazz songstress Punah Gabasine, the late Gomolemo Motswaledi and Lizibo as the products of KTM.

“KTM choir is an academy of music in Botswana, this is why we so need LCS for the development of choral music and our long walk with Liberty Life Botswana have ensured great achievements with them,” he said.

For her part, Lulu Rasebotsa the managing director of Liberty Life Botswana said Liberty believes in empowering the youth hence their engagement with KTM through the LCS.  She said Liberty Life Botswana believes that KTM is a nation building movement, because it accommodates everyone despite of their races, religion and political affiliation. end