08 Nov 2022

Four decades ago, this month, one of the greatest folk soulful singers of all time, Anna Fiki released Mpolelle Re Babedi. The song blew into a super hit banger that still gives many goose bumps today.

Officially known as Anna Fiki Ditau, she composed the album ‘Ditiragalo tsa Lefatshe le’ in 1982 featuring most loved title track Mpolelle re Babedi and songs such as RB1, Valentine’s Day, ‘Mmathabo’, Farewell Tribute to Princess Diana’ as well as Morena Re Thuse.

While the album was composed during the 80s with no proper studios, Mpolelle re Babedi would go on to become one of the most celebrated and cherished songs, even attracting young artists, who later rearranged and remixed it.

The story behind Mpolelle re Babedi is as fairy-tale. Anna Fiki says she started singing at a young age at playgrounds and was a strong soloist at church.

She would later in 1982, while at Resources Centre for the Blind in Mochudi, yearn to learn playing the piano from a woman she simply referred to as

Lorreta from Canada. But each time when her turn came for her piano lessons, something would come-up and interfere.

Frustrated and even thinking of giving up on ever being a piano player, one night she dreamt playing the piano, more like a lesson from the heavens.

“I dreamt playing a piano, monna wa lekgowa a nthuta a mpontsha every key and how to play it. Re ne re le kwa kerekeng e tona go na le batho ba le bantsi (in a big church, with a lot of people). We were playing ‘o nkgopole fa o tsena paradiseng’ in the dream,” relates Anna Fiki on how she learnt playing the instrument. The Mabule-born woman said she woke up from the dream and wondered about it, then headed to the piano room to try what she dreamt.

Hers was a talent from God and literally a dream come true, and she did not reveal the news to anyone for a while as she was still in shock and excited at the same time.
Back to Mpolelle re Babedi tale, whilst awaiting her Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) results, two gentlemen from the military, Socca

Moruakgomo and Aupa Pilane (now deceased) visited the centre along with the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) delegate.

Pilane’s eye roved about and he approached the young Anna Fiki with love interest. “I was a lead vocalist, composer, piano player and writer and we were entertaining the BDF delegate,” said Anna Fiki reminiscing how Pilane was attracted to her then.

As Pilane kept pouring his heart out to the young Anna Fiki, she kept laughing him off, as she did not understand what he was on about.

“He kept telling me that he wanted to make a wife out of me and give me children, but I just laughed it off,” Anna Fiki related.

Amused by the ignorance of Anna Fiki, Socca teased her ‘Anna Fiki wa baeza, ke lone lekau leo.’ But Anna Fiki continued dismissing them because she was a young naïve girl who did not know anything about love.

Later on November 27 of the same year, Pilane came back to Mochudi to cement his efforts of winning Anna Fiki. Coming from a strict family back in Mabule, Anna Fiki remembers that Pilane’s advancements made her uncomfortable and she kept thinking back home. “He told me in a serious spiritual voice that he is serious about me,” she said.

Thinking alone, Anna Fiki thought of what she will say to him regarding his advances. Mpolelle re Babedi were the words that came to her. “I thought to myself I will say ‘mpolelle re babedi ke wena wa pele le wa bofelo, nna le wena re tla kgaoganngwa ke leso, ga nkitla ke go lebala,” Anna Fiki reminisced.

Later in December 1982, Anna Fiki and Pilane had their ‘date’ by the rocks with rain drizzling and she then decided to put rhythm to the words she had been preparing. “I asked him to accompany me to the music room, and I sang him the song, which he liked and even prophesised that Batswana will love it until the end of time,” said Anna Fiki.

To date, the song is still a hit among folk soul music lovers and now the young musicians such as Kast and Fifi Cooper have remixed the song to suit the young market.

This noble gesture by the young creative is something Anna Fiki cherishes every moment, ‘I am grateful to these young artists for recognising my talent by remixing and rearranging my song,” she said.

The bubbly vibrant singer advised young artists to create relevant music with appropriate message for all, acknowledging that young musicians are into beats, but says they need to also consider the message.

“When you create a song, it should be able to appeal people into conversations now and years to come.” She added.

Despite her stardom and celebrated song, Anna Fiki is not spared by the challenges of the music industry in the country. Like other artists, she also wishes to export her talent, but lack of a management team deters her dream.

“I have only been invited by government to perform in Johannesburg, South Africa to celebrate Botswana Independence day in 2014, and I wish to penetrate other international markets, but I need an efficient credible management team,” said concerned Anna Fiki.

She shared her frustrations of unprofessionalism in the entertainment industry in the country. As a disabled muso, she says she is prone to conmen who are only serving their interests at her expense.

“They cheat us because of our disability. We are only dealing with scammers and we need that to change because we make a living out of our talent,” said Anna Fiki, appealing to credible managers to come to their rescue as disabled musicians.

She appealed to professional managers who are conversant with the industry, adding that currently she relies on her family that is not well versed with the entertainment industry issues.

Anna Fiki also seeks corporate sponsorship, especially for her transportation as she fulfils her performance bookings around the country.

“For me to take Mpolelle re babedi to Batswana around the country as it celebrates 40 years, I need sponsorship, so I appeal to Batswana to assist so that I take my talent to every corner of this country,” saidAnna Fiki. ENDS