20 Jan 2014

Lizibo 'Glen' Simon is Botswana’s fastest rising star.

From humble beginnings as a choral singer with Botswana’s premier chorale, KTM choir to singing opera at David Slater’s, Lizibo would eventually ascend the ladder of stardom, taking the rungs not one, but several at a time.  

His work did not go unnoticed. And the music fraternity understood when he started taking award after award at the annual Botswana Music Union (BOMU) Awards.

These included the prestigious Best Male Artiste, Best Newcomer and Best Afro-pop all for his album Better man. Born 28 years ago in Gaborone, the Afro-pop sensation traces his roots to Zwenshambe, a small village some 120 kilometres from Francistown.  

The large extended family that he was born into is as talented as it is numerous. And the same talented genes course through third generation Lizibo’s blood.

“From a young age music was a part of my life, at home we had a church and I would sing with my grandmother and mother who were exuberant singers” he says. Then his cousin Gaone Babutho, together with friends, founded Tribal Monks which comprised the likes of Soul B and Dj Skizo.

That greatly inspired young Lizibo, and gave birth to his ambition to one day make it in the music scene. His good singing impressed the KTM choir trainer and he was accepted into the largely adult choir, becoming its youngest member.” At the time he was a student at Marulamantsi Junior Secondary School. 

His teachers realised his talent and allowed him to lead assembly sometimes, and to help train the choir. He continued in the same attitude when he graduated to senior secondary school, in the case Ledumang in Gaborone. That was all preparation for stardom.

Lizibo says his musical inspiration is from everyday life experiences. “As a musician I have been given the responsibility to share, and inspire others, and I get musical inspirations from everyday living, different people and life’s beauty and love,” he says.

He sees the BOMU awards as a stamp of approval by Batswana to show that he is moving in the right direction. He holds Kgotla, of Matshidiso fame in high regard and says his song inspired him very much. Such is his respect for Kgotla that he has dedicated best Afro-pop album award to him, “for being an inspiration and a pioneer of Afro-pop music in Botswana.”

A customer technical advisor with Multichoice, Lizibo is busy promoting his album  Better man. He plans on a tour of Maun, Francistown and Gaborone early March. During this launch he will incorporate elements of his first love – choral and orchestra in a live event. He is also working on his second album which is due for release towards the end of the year.

He hopes to collaborate with other African artistes such as South Africa’s Theo Kgosinkwe and Nigeria’s Banky W. He believes such collaborations will allow him to showcase Botswana’s unique afro-pop style to the rest of Africa. Lizibo also dreams of opening a music learning institution to help and nurture young talent. ENDS