05 Nov 2023

Botswana Defence Force (BDF) bands performance left many fans begging for more when they launched this year’s first concert at Sir Seretse Khama Barracks (SSKB) in Mogoditshane on Friday.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, who is also Commander in Chief of the armed Forces and his wife, First Lady Neo, were among many revellers who filled the SSKB auditorium to capacity to witness BDF’s finest talent.

Also in attendance were Minister for State President, Kabo Morwaeng and  Minister of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, Tumiso Rakgare as well as other dignitaries including Permanent Secretary to the President, Emmah Peloetletse.

The BDF Concert  is one of the biggest and popular concerts in the country loved by both young and old. 

Since its inception in 1994, the men and women in uniform have left an indelible mark in the hearts of their many fans.

The bands have also managed to demonstrate that talent was galore in various forms either through song, music instruments and dance to captivate the hearts of the fans. 

This year was no different. In fact, many fans who had bought tickets made their way to the auditorium as early as 5pm to grab a seat. By 6pm, the auditorium was full to capacity.

As the audience waited for the arrival of President Masisi and his entourage, one could tell that the atmosphere in the auditorium was pregnant with anticipation for the band to strike the first cord.

Once the band finished playing the national anthem, the crowd was serenaded by the military band repertoire when they played the Lion King medley composed by John Higgins. 

It was as if it was deliberate to introduce the band with that melancholic tune while at the same time bringing a great feeling of nostalgia to many reminding them of their youth.

The band also played Highland Cathedral a tune performed by the Royal Scots Dragon Guards and Mannengberg, a song composed by Abdul Ibrahim in a seamless transition to ripen the mood to the audience who were all glued in their seats listening to the beautiful musical instruments.

The second part of the show was the presentation of the String Orchestra Concert Repertoure. 

The band played classic music soothing to the soul. They played songs such as Tsibirobi, a traditional Tswana folk song and Are Chencheng song; another Tswana folk song originally played by the legendary Ratsie Setlhako. 

The timeless piece is now the back bone of President Masisi’s mantra of mindset change.

The band also performed a beautiful rendition, Stand by Me composed by Calvin Custer. It also showcased their ability to perform different musical instruments in piano, Xylophone when the band members performed music items such as Allegretta and Change in the wind.

The mood got hyped up when traditional guitar songs were played, the crowd got off their feet when a songs such as Mozambique composed by Private Mahatlhe and Baloi were performed and sang along.

Some of the local songs that were beautifully performed by the band were songs like Cheri Kwa, Mosadi o Ntshiwa Di-out and Selemela. 

Traditional dance performances such as Tsutsube, Seperu, Phathisi and Hosanna were also performed. Some of the popular songs synonymous with the BDF band were also performed such as Shambala.

The last part of the concert showcased three dance bands ensemble from Francistown, SSKB and Thebephatshwa Air base. They entertained the crowd with Pantsula dance styles and performed songs from various local and international artistes.

The BDF concert is a charitable music event and this year was held under the theme Enhancing Mindset Change to Raise Gender-based Violence Awareness Through Music. The concerts are part of BDF’s Corporate Social Responsibility programmes designed to give back to the community by assisting those in need.

The SSKB concert raised about P100 000 of which four charitable organisations; Gamodubu Child Care Centre, Cheshire Foundation, Motswedi Rehabilitation Centre and Dyslexia and Social Supprt Services Botswana benefited and each got P25 000.

This year’s series of concerts commenced on Friday with the opening concert in Mogoditshane and will conclude on December 16 covering 15 villages and towns around the country. Ends