11 Dec 2016

One of the positive aspects of constituency arts competitions is unearthing of talents in cultural music and dances.
Since their inception, the competitions saw the mushrooming of music genres other Batswana at different parts of the country knew nothing about.
One such music is Nama stap, which has its origin from the Nama people of Namibia, some of whom are found at Lokgwabe in Kgalagadi District.
Nama Stap as a dance and interpretive art form, has been around for centuries as a profound expression of the Nama people.
Thanks to constituency arts competitions, Nama Stap, which is similar to polka music as both involve dancing in pairs and the man is the one who controls a woman during the dance, is now rearing its head among the different forms of dance in Botswana.
In the presidential arts competitions, Nama Stap was placed in the same category as polka.

Chairperson of !Khara Khoen Cultural Group, William Cloate said the main purpose of forming the group was to resuscitate the Nama culture in Botswana.

Born  in 2014, the group consists 12 members, whose number fluctuated as members come and go.

Even though they had been in the industry for two years now, the group kept on reinventing itself and had so far managed to stay relevant in the cut throat industry.

Their music was played in state radios and received a warm reception from Batswana, especially inhabitants of Kgalagadi.

Invitations to perform at different functions had been order of the day for the group.

It is now rare to attend a wedding in Kgalagadi North and not find !Khara Khoen Cultural Group being in the list of entertainers.

The group participated twice at the annual crowd pulling Khawa Dune  Challenge and Cultural Festival.

They also participated at Tsabong Polka festival and International Youth Day in Molepolole last year.

The group has been the only crowd puller during constituency arts competitions in Hukuntsi as people continued to lose the taste of other genres such as dikhwaere and traditional instruments and songs in preference of Nama stap.

Cloate attributed the success of their group to discipline, hard work, team work and peace, which prevail among the group.

He says they view one onother as family members, which makes it possible to work as team.

Looking into the future, the group is planning to record their music and sell internationally. ENDS