18 Jun 2017

She is popularly known as the Queen of Disco in Botswana because of the passion, talent and the performance she puts to her music. 

Her real name is Lebang Baipidi, fondly known as Ponka in the music circles. 

Ponka said her Disco is a genre of dance-oriented pop music of songs  which usually have soaring, often reverberated vocals over a steady four-on-the-floor beat, ring and was popular in the 90s.

The 35-year Mogonye-born has recently released an eight track album titled, Pantsola Girl, which was produced by Tumelo Mafoko. 

She noted that the album had already hit the shelves in different music stalls across the country, including KoSetlhareng.com.

So far, she said the album had received a warm welcome by her fans. 

Ponka said the motive behind the album was brought about by her keen love for Pantsola, which she said was a slang word describing a certain way of behaviour of people associated with wearing machesa, with long trousers cut at the ankles, dressed with nicely tucked-in shirts and stupor caps.  

She said the title track, Pantsola Girl was a dedication to all the girls who were in love with Pantsola life, adding that the song encourages men to accept their gilrfriends, who had embraced Pantsula life.

At times, she said when people fall in love, the other partner suffers emotionally because they would be expected and forced to behave in a particular way in order to please their partners.  

Another prominent track in the album, Gata Ga Somora, which she said was about all the irresponsible fathers, who disappeared after pay day without spending money on their children, but spending it on alcohol and friends. 

Still in the album there is Ko Mogonye, which, she said was a dedication to her home village. 

Other tracks are Rea Ipela and Hau lalele.

Re a Ipela, is about our culture, while, Hau lalele, is about a friend who is taken advantage of for the sake of friendship.

The Queen of Disco, who is not new in the music industry as she has four albums already to her name, said she was very delighted and honoured to have won the best Upcoming Artist in the 2012 President’s Day Competitions. 

She appaluded the self-acclaimed king of kwasa kwasa Franco Lesokwane for showing her the way. BOPA