16 Mar 2021

As families continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones due to the COVID -19 pandemic, Ikageng alias IKS Gaebepe has released a single gospel track titled: Beula as a dedication during these trying times.

In an interview, IKS said she composed the track and it was released in January under Jave More Studios in Gaborone. She said Beula is a UCCSA hymn that described the beauty and tranquillity of heaven, and it also brought peace of mind and comfort.

She said she felt the need to send out a message to grieving families to help them heal and instil a sense of hope that although their loved ones departed on earth, their souls were resting in eternal peace under the guard of angels and were no longer enduring pain.

“Families continue to grapple with the disparaging effects of COVID 19 pandemic, for some, it is hard to heal and move on, so I felt that such music will embolden families and administer hope and healing upon them,” she said.

Moreover, she said the track instilled hope that God was real amidst all the adversity and calamity.

She said through every situation that families encountered, they should not question God rather they ought to stand firm on their faith.

She said people should also learn to put God first and let him order their steps as this would allow everything to unfold in his perfect timing.

IKS said she had always been passionate about music since childhood and served as a Praise and Worship leader at church. However, she could not fully embark on music due to other social commitments.

She said while she released her single track for monetary benefit, she also managed to donate some of her CDs to some individuals especially those grieving to extended condolences to them.

Besides music, IKS is also a fashion designer, and her journey into the fashion industry was made possible by the financial assistance she received from the Financial Assistance Policy(FAP) at a tune of P75 000, which enabled her to pull all the strings and hit the ground running.

She said some of the moments she cherished as a Fashion Designer was the lucrative tenders she won to clothe Citizen Entrepreneur Development Agency (CEDA) staff and the Department of  Protocol for Botswana Police Officers in 2016 and 2019 respectively.

IKS said she managed to strike a balance between her two different chosen career paths.  

“Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the business on fashion became low this was largely due to cancellation of some social activities and minimal attendance of other activities such as weddings among others, and this left me with more time on my hands. Therefore, I kept busy through music,” she said.

She said the idea to venture into music proved profitable, as the income generated supplemented her other source of income. Ends