04 Jul 2022

KTM Choir has won the National Arts Festival under the choral category in Gaborone over the weekend.

The choir recieved P30 000 followed by Andante Chorus who received P25 000 and Gaborone Philharmonic Voice in third place with P22 000.

The National Arts Festival, which also featured dikhwaere, saw Badiragatsi Choir from Kgatleng being crowned champions. 

It received P30 000 while second placed Thokamo Choir from Tonota got P25 000 and Melody Choir of Maun received P22 000.

The festival, themed: Creative Industries, a Vehicle for Sustainable Development had two choral competition categories, large and standard.

Under the large category, Maikano serenades, Andante Chorus, Multi-Genre Artists, Sefako Choristers, Serowe Symphony and Gaborone Philharmonic Voice competed, all performing a song titled Agnus Dei.

KTM choir competed in the same category with a different song titled Then Comes the Dawn. 

Both songs were composed by Joseph Haydn, an Austrian composer and symphonist.

Still competing under the large category, the same groups had to compete again with the song Matlapeko, written in Setswana by Puso Phetwe. KTM outclassed all choirs in both categories, becoming the overall winner.

When performing the Matlapeko song, choir members were dressed to resemble the old tradition of collecting firewood from the bush as described in the song.

The song described the difficulties that Batswana faced when collecting firewood because they had to cross paths with poisonous snakes.  

To overcome these difficulties, they developed a habit of going for such errands in groups, armed with axes and spears.

Maun Choral, Camel, Diamonds Melodies, and Palapye Voices choirs from Tsabong, Gaborone, and Palapye respectively competed for the top spot in the standard category with a Kalanga song: Ludo composed by Gabriel Malikongwa.

Palapye Voice choir took first place and won P30 000 while Diamond Melodies settled for P25 000 and Maun Choral pocketed P22 000.

The same groups also performed under lerabi to give them a chance to showcase their levels of creativity and their performance was on point; each group made an effort to allude to the effects of COVID-19 in the entertainment industry.

Under lerabi, Diamond Melodies choir came in first, Palapye Voice came second and Maun Choral came in third with P30 000, P25 000 and P22 000, respectively.

Despite the chilly weather, both the young and the old came in large numbers to witness talent.

In remarks, Kitso Kemoen, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport, and Culture, urged artists to embrace the National Arts Festival, saying it was a platform for artists to showcase their talent while also benefiting from the prizes.

He also encouraged the groups to use the cash funds constructively, given how hard the COVID-19 pandemic had hit them. Ends