31 Jul 2016

Growing up close to a father who spoke and still speaks strong and pure Setswana diction has been a blessing for Abel Sename as he grew up to be a traditional musician and a poet of repute.

As the Setswana adage goes, “Kgomo ya morago e gata fa ya pele e gatileng teng,” Abel is a true reflection of this since just as his father he has strong usage of deep Setswana diction that many young men of his age shun away from.

From his primary school days until at Lobatse Senior Secondary School, Abel joined the school traditional music group which went around scooping awards at music competitions.

It was in 2007, after completing his senior secondary school studies that he joined a local traditional music group called Diphiri as a dancer.

However, Abel knew deep in his heart that his desire was not only to dance to traditional music, but to also sing it.

In 2009, he and three other lads, Lucky Kopelang, Ikgopoleng Marope and Boikhutso Khutsafalo formed a group called Sebabatsane where he was a vocalist.

It was then that he found the opportunity to grow his vocalist talent. However, the group did not last long as the first album they recorded at Dargie Digital Studios which went by the title name Tlhabanong, did not sell.

Abel said the group did not go far as it lacked management skills and marketing of the album as the group had just cut its teeth in the music industry.

However it did not go all dark, and never did he give up and dump his dream of one day recording his own album and sharing stages with big names in the industry.

He feels he is now living his dream as in March 2015, he formed a group called Matlotla and recorded his solo album entitled Lefukufuku.

The 27-year-old lad from Mmathududukwane in Kgatleng District, but residing in Lobatse has since had this group name sticking to him as people have now set aside his name Abel and call him Matlotla, a name he said he does not mind as he has embraced it and works for him very well.

With almost a year in the market, he said Matlotla was doing well as it enjoys airplay in some radio stations. He said ever since the release of the album he has been getting a lot of bookings across the country.

“Batswana have really welcomed this album as by word of mouth they tell me how much they enjoy my music which is infused with poetry,” he said.

The seven track album recorded at Bullet Music Promotions has strong Setswana diction which is also spoken in parables that one has to listen attentively to the lyrics to try and get the message behind the lyrics.

The title track which is also the album title sums it all,  Lefukufuku, a Setswana name that is hardly on people’s lips when conversing in the mother tongue shows how much Matlotla can go deep in digging Setswana names.

He says Lefukufuku simply refers to doing something wrong to a person or people you share a life with. In the song, Matlotla sings of how a married man goes underground to try and cheat the man in enriching his wife’s family.

In warning the man, Matlotla says, “Kgwa thupa mosimanyana bokgaitsadio ba nyalwa bobe, ba re nkhumise ke go humise ka o humisitse bangwe maloba”.

Songs such as Kamponwane and ke Mmone mosadi are some of the songs that a listener will understand the basic message behind the song.

Not only does Matlotla sing to provide entertainment but also does so to advise people on how to live harmoniously with the environment and the people around them.

Songs such as Emang Banana advises the youth not to sit, relax and think a better future will come to them while they are resting. 

The song with its lyrics, “Mogoga yo o moleele o tsosa phiri,” Matlotla says, advises the youth to wake up to the opportunities that the government has provided for the youth such as the Youth Development Fund to uplift their living standards.

Track seven, titled Molelo, discourages men who are involved in acts of abusing women and children to desist from such.

Matlotla said he is happy with the way Batswana have embraced his works and will never disappoint them.

He said he is looking forward to creating a market for his album even in neighbouring countries as recently he was invited to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) television studios to record his music for its traditional music programme called ‘Roots’.ENDS