Legendary Gaborone Youth Singers coming to Maitisong
The youthful Gaborone Youth Singers choir is expected to mesmerise chorale music lovers at a one night of song and dance this Saturday at Maitisong Theatre in Gaborone. The show seeks to celebrate the milestones that the group has achieved over the past couple of years. The event, according to organisers also seeks to showcase the abundant talent that Botswana has in the chorale music fraternity, which can be a vehicle for diversifying the economy and creating employment for the youth.
On the day, music lovers will be treated to a repertoire comprising of western classical renditions, vernacular pieces and solo samples by experienced Batswana. The Musical Director of the group, Tshepiso Marumo reveals that the highlights of the evening will include solo performances of Opera extracts by talented performers such as Boyce Batlang, Mafika Gaborone, Ogone Pilane, Tshephiso Pati, Khumo Kereeditse, One Motlhankane, Ogopotse Keofitlhetse, and Keletso Letsile, as well as Nombuso Nhlanhla from South Africa.
They will be sampling extracts and songs by great local and international composers that includes Verdi, Mozart, Hendel, Bellini, and Donisetti, as well as Mohapelwa, KT Motsete and Luka Disho.“The show is a culmination of our success over the past couple of years,” he says. The Gaborone Youth Singers is a non-profit making organisation registered as a society, and it has been in existence for 21 years.
Over the past couple of years, the choir has had over 1000 members who have graduated from the choir either due to age or other life commitment, explains a press release. “This membership consisted of young people aged below 30 years, initially in and around Gaborone, and recently from all over Botswana. Some of such members are now conductors for school and church choirs,” explains the release.
The release further says that in 2016, (GYS) became the first choir to represent Botswana at the prestigious annual 40 year old Southern African Old Mutual National Choir Festival held in South Africa. This was after they were crowned champions in the regional eliminations of the same competitions against other big choirs from Botswana and South Africa.
Other highlights include performing at the 2017 Netball Youth Cup held in Botswana. In the same year, the choir participated in the annual Pan African festival dubbed FESPAM in Central Africa. The choir has also held concerts in both Lesotho and Swaziland. The release also points out that in 2017, the choir retained its regional championship in the Old Mutual National Choir festival, to once again represent the North West/Botswana region at the finals.
