Wynton Jr Senwelo shines as a drummer

Wynton Jr Senwelo has managed to make a name for himself as one of the most sought after drummers in Botswana, at just the young age of 23. He has shared the stage with the likes of Shanti Lo, Women of Jazz, Joel Keitumele and Tshegofatso Kwadiba, to mention a few.

However, his success did not just fall on his lap. It has taken a lot of commitment, hard work and dedication to perfect his craft. Senwelo recalls that his love for drums started when he was still growing up. “I fell in love with drums after I watched music videos of Phil Collins which my parents also watched. Then came the phase of being exposed to punk rock from the cartoons of that time but it was the movie, ‘Drumline’ which made me realise that I wanted to learn how to play drums,” he explains. Luckily for him, he got the chance to meet Phillip Modise who took him under his wings and taught him how to not only play drums but also read music. He also introduced him to other musicians who helped him hone his talent and skills.

Senwelo’s big break came when Socca Moruakgomo needed a drummer and as luck would have it, the young drummer was available to play. After that gig, many doors opened for him as more artists asked him to play for them. To date, he has been a drummer for The Metrophones, has played in Swaziland and has even travelled to Europe. Unfortunately he has had to quit being the drummer for The Metrophones because his schedule became too hectic due to the back-to-back gigs and had pressing school commitments. Senwelo is a pilot in training at the Major Blue Aviation College. “I have no choice but to juggle my music career with my studies as I love both. When the time comes, it will be very difficult to choose between the two,” he says.

Despite his acclaim at such a young age, Senwelo says he doesn’t let himself get big headed. He says his role model, South African drummer, Joshua ‘JStar’ Zacheus warned him and he heeded the advice. In the year 2017, his hope is to start giving back to the community by availing himself so that he is able to teach other people who are interested in learning the drums without any costs. “I was taught to play drums for free, so I feel that I should do the same. I also want people, especially youth, to benefit from my skill, expertise and experience,” he says. Senwelo also hopes to land more gigs with hip hop artists in the country, as it is a genre he would like to explore.