27 Apr 2021

Otsile Letina, who goes by the stage name Maakgisa, recently released a single track video titled Nkuku ntlhapise kgaba, a follow-up of his debut poetry album that bears the the same title and was released last year.

Maakgisa, a.k.a Phoko ya Leburuboko in poetry circles, said he intended not only to eke out a living with his talent, but also share messages that addressed everyday life issues.

He also seeks to encourage the youth to respect culture and for them to have contact with their grand parents and family elders to guide them through life.

The Molepolole lad blames modern practices for the status quo, saying previously family ties were encouraged and it was common for families to come together and perform cultural practices believed to protect and strengthen them.

Maakgisa said through the video, he hoped to evoke a sense of cultural appreciation among the youth and help them realise that elders were important because of the cultural knowledge they possessed.

“Culture will always be a part of us.

Life in the modern world does not mean that people should shun their cultural practices and believes nor associate it with evil acts,” he said.

Maakgisa reminisced that his road into the entertainment industry dated back to 2008 when he was a dancer for Dipela tsa ga Kobotwe traditional dance troupe.

He said he also felt inspired by some seasoned poets such as Dingalo Mokotedi, alias Kgaladua and Onkgolotse Manuel, who also lured him into trying his luck in poetry.

He said under the tutelage of the two, he learnt how to arrange poetic idioms and metaphors and to orate them in an enchanting manner.

Even with so much help, he took his time to release his debut because he did not want to do a shoddy job but grabbed every opportunity that crawled his way for personal growth.

In 2018 and 2019 he participated in the Presidential art competitions at ward and regional levels and got position one in both competitions, and achievement that encouraged him to release an album.

The stage name Maakgisa, he recalled, emerged during the Presidential competitions from audiences who reckoned ‘o akgisa bankane ba gagwe,” meaning his performance was above his competitors.

Maakgisa chooses to use only Setswana in his poems because he feels that rhythmic Setswana poems are slowly fading away.

He said he was aware that the time for the release of his album happened when the market was sleepy due to COVID-19, but did not despair because he was passionate about his work.

He also said he was not threatened by emerging talent because he trusted that his passion would see him through. ENDS