17 Oct 2017

With rains having dampened Oliver Mtukudzi's 65th birthday and Franco’s first ever appearance at BotswanaCraft for the Mascom Live Sessions on October 6, South African songstress Zahara has been billed to headline the last Mascom Live Sessions of the year on November 5.

Speaking in an interview, managing director of BotswanaCraft ,Oliver Groth said Zahara would perform alongside Trinity Mpho who is back in Botswana after an extended stay in Canada.

“Zahara is in the final stages of launching her latest album and we think it's rocking! There's a story about someone who is down and out after losing their job but then a friend picks them up and life turns out for the better. The moral is that even when things are bad and we are facing difficulties we should not despair,” he said.

Zahara is not new to Botswana and the last time she was at BotswanaCraft was in 2015, when she also closed the year’s sessions.

In 2011, Zahara released her debut album Loliwe which went platinum in 13 days and double platinum after 17 days and is reported to have sold millions of copies in South Africa.

According to Wikipedia.org, on March 2012 at the annual South African Music Awards (SAMAs), Zahara won eight awards, including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year and she is the most successful female artiste in South Africa having sold almost over a million records in South Africa.

On being asked about measures being put in place in case it heavily rains again so people are assured of a good time, Oliver said they were preparing renovations to accommodate their stretch tent which would create more space undercover.

“That being said BotswanaCraft is still an outdoor event area and people will be exposed to the elements. So they should be prepared and dressed for the prevailing weather,” he said.

On concerns that some revelers had witnessed a fight at BotswanaCraft with the last Mascom Live Session and security personnel not responding promptly to the melee, Oliver indicated that staff were on hand within minutes and the people involved were moved to a safe area.

“And to the best of my knowledge the argument was quickly settled amicably,” he said.  

With a little over 11 years in the music industry, Moletlanye ‘Trinity’ Mphoeng, going by the stage name of Trinity Mpho is back in the country having spent the past three years in Canada doing what he loves most; music.

Having relocated to Toronto in May 2012 and signed to FM Music record label, Trinity was on his way to living his dream of making music for an international audience. “The kind of music I do is referred to as Afro-Jazz in Botswana and in Canada it is known as World Music,” says the 33-year-old singer from Bobonong.

“The first year in Canada was a bit of a challenge but since I was surrounded by people who were active, aggressive and determined to make me a success, it was bearable,” he said.

He said the team at FM Music was interested in his art and made sure his transition was smooth and it paid off.

“Even though I am no longer signed to them, I still hold them in high regard for what they did for me,” he said.

He is now signed to another record label in Canada. He played at several gigs in Canada, among them the Afro Fest music festival, which attracted over 60 000 people.

“I participated in that festival in 2013 and 2015. I must say that I was very lucky to have graced it as it is the biggest of its kind in Canada,” he said.

He also did the Harbour Front Festival, Africa Night and the Canadian Music Week, among others. His influences range from the late Busi Mhlongo, Jabu Khanyile to Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

“Locally, I am inspired by Nono Siile, Shanti Lo, Punah Gabasiane, Kearoma Rantao and City Seetso,” he said.

He started his career as a back-up singer for most Afro-jazz singers in Botswana. He recorded one album and now working on new material. “I came back to Botswana because I have projects here that I need to attend to,” he said.

He revealed that he recently performed at the GIMC Jazz show that boasted the likes of Jonathan Butler, Kirk Whalum, Lorraine Lion Heart, Bemotho and Amantle Brown.

To upcoming artistes looking to relocate abroad, Trinity said, “I think my biggest advantage was that I was willing to learn, understand the country and its people and to put in extra effort into my work which helped me to find the success that I found.”
He said people in Canada had a huge appetite for other people’s cultures.

“Canada is a welcoming country and music is such a boundary breaker,” he said.

He said the major challenge was that it costs money to promote one’s art. Even though he was signed to a record label, he was not the only one on the stable.

He was nominated for the Black Canadian Awards under the Best African Style Artist category. Although he did not win, the nomination showed that he was doing something right.

“Another achievement was being nominated for the World Music Artist of the Year under the African Entertainment Award, which I won in 2015,” he said.

Trinity said his hope for the music industry in Botswana was to see artistes supporting each other. He said big corporations also needed to come on board and endorse artistes because financial support was important in ensuring that artists become successful.

Tickets for Mascom Live Sessions retail at P300 and are already on sale at BotswanaCraft and Oliver Groth has applauded sponsors Mascom Wireless, Travelodge, Mi5, Duma FM, The Gazette, The Voice and Savanna for supporting this event.ENDS