29 Jun 2023

It has been a little over six years since the duo of Tshepo Taukobong and Odirile Mogapi burst into the music scene.

Taukobong and Mogapi, two young men who grew up together in the dusty streets of Goora Gaobotse Ward in Ramotswa, had been idle for most of their youthful days and would later resolve not to sit back but use their talent to form a brass musical band and entertain people.

It started off on a rough patch, coming from humble beginnings, rehearsing with makeshift instruments to a now fully assembled 17 piece brass band.

For them, consistency was the key to success. They understood one another and kept each other motivated to stand the test of hard times.

In an interview, 38-year-old Taukobong, now the band’s musical manager, said they were looking to embark on an ambitious mission to make their music live long and remain engraved in people’s memories.

The band plays quite an unusual type of music that had seen its popularity waning over the years owing to the advent of recent musical beats.

Also to blame for the waning popularity was people’s lack of interest, especially youth in learning the old traditional instruments associated with brass bands.

Brass bands use the trombone, euphonium, trumpet, baritone horn and snare drum among other old fashioned musical instruments. 

The genre had its heydays in the early 70s.

Taukobong said immediately after rebranding from Phokeng Brass Band to Ramotswa Brass Band, they were looking to alter the repertoire from old fashioned drum and trumpet music to infuse latest popular music such as dikhwaere with modern beats.

The band released its first studio album, Pelo Robala, in February this year. The six-track album features the title track Pelo Robala, Team Di Etla, Serurubele, Le Ntse Le Le Kae, A re neelaneng Matsogo and Motho Wa Mmona.

Taukobong said the role of the band had remained the same; taking part in, among others, parades, remembrance festivities, weddings, funerals as well as concerts.

He acknowledged help from one Ausi Tshegofatso Tau who used to play with the iconic Ramatea Brass Band in Kanye.He said they asked her to fund them and she bought some instruments.

They initially started playing for fun but as the band grew, they entertained to eke a living. Previously the group had been engaged by premier league outfit Jwaneng Galaxy to lift the morale of their players with soothing sounds in their premier league matches. 

They have travelled as far as Orapa, Francistown and Lobatse with the team.

Taukobong said they were planning to appeal for support and grow the genre which was capable of creating job opportunities for young people.

He said they once competed in the Presidential National Arts Festival under the live instruments category but lost in the preliminaries.

He said they were also willing to assist out of school youth who were struggling financially due to limited job opportunities to explore the creative industry sector.

Taukobong also urged the private sector to assist government by investing in the creative sector and enjoy the value of the industry.

Government has shown commitment to strengthen the arts and cultural sector with several major reinvestment in the sector already been undertaken.

The sector has been promoted to a level where those engaged could eke a living from the talent or production. ENDS