31 Jul 2018

Organisers of the inaugural BW local music festival are optimistic that the show, penciled for Trekkers night club August 4 , is likely to bring back the old spark and reignite old memories of the once popular local music groups. 

The festival will see a star studded line up of local musicians entertain an expected sellout crowd at the popular hangout spot in Mogoditshane. 

According to Tebogo Motube of Brave Music Promotions, the fundamental goal of the festival was to offer local musicians, whose careers in the entertainment industry had taken a nose dive, an opportunity to regroup and redirect their paths.

Motube noted that they were planning to revive the popular slogan ‘local is lekker’ and hence called almost all the once popular musicians from all the genres under one roof. 

The local is lekker moniker is often used to mean things that are home grown are always the best. 

The high profile act in the mouthwatering line up will undoubtedly be the self-acclaimed king of rhumba, or kwasa-kwasa Franco Lesokwane. 

In mythological parlance the Gabane-born muso could be likened to King Midas. 

The latter is popularly remembered for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold. 

Franco could be enjoying the same honour as his 17^th album has of late enjoyed massive airplay in local radio stations. 

He has also drawn bumper crowds to his shows, making him an instant hit with local music lovers. Lepako, as Franco is affectionately known, would be joined on the stage by another ex-soldier and friend Jeff Matheatau. 

The story goes that the relationship between Matheatau and Franco goes back to the early years at Tsogang Primary School in Taung. 

Matheatau was a class ahead of Franco and when they met at the barracks years later,  Matheatau was the first to identify his childhood friend. 

The army barracks became a launching pad for them. 

It was the stewardship of the late Malombo Mmereki, the late Tsilo Baitsile and renowned saxophonist Lister Boleseng amongst other members of the popular 80’s BDF Band, who moulded Jeff and Franco. 

And as they say the rest is history. They are likely to share the stage on Saturday and remind the crowd of their past story. 

Another interesting addition to the lineup is the much loved kwaito outfit Eskimos. 

The Gaborone West-based group has been out of the spotlight for a while and it would be interesting to see them bringing back old memories by playing songs from the award winning albums amongst them O mpimpile, Mzobozo wa manyora, My babe and O ne o le kae maabane. 

Lebang Baipidi, popularly known as Ponka in music circles, said she was excited to be part of the historic event. 

The energetic disco queen admitted to having taken a downward spiral but promised to drop a hit soon. 

The 37-year-old presidential award winning artiste is putting together an album to be released in September.

Other artistes who have confirmed attendance for the annual music festival are Slizer, Skavenja, MC Maswe, Tumza, Exodus, Mercy M, Tsarabutsere, Swaggerlady, Tshepo G, Oscar Chakabuya, MC Ronnie and Dipoko amongst others. ENDS