Sparks expected to fly when Rhumba stars clash on stage in Francistown
The clash of Botswana’s Rhumba giants is expected to be a Kwasa Kwasa explosion this Saturday during the Kwambala Cup Music festival. Alredo Mos and Les Africa Sounds, Franco and Afro Musica, Jeff Matheatau and Oska Chakabuya will sweat it out for the King of Rhumba title.
The music festival will also feature South African Afro-pop legend Johnny Mokhali, whose music has earned him legions of fans in Botswana for over the past two decades. His presence will surely attract the older generation to reminisce on years gone by. Some of his popular hits include Lerato ka mogala which still gets revellers on their feet dancing along whenever he takes to the stage.
Alfredo Mos who is still regarded as the local pioneer of local Rhumba Music with other legends in the likes of Nata and Capricorn and the late Biza Mupulu will face his onetime dance in Franco. Before Franco released his first album Ke Lela le lona, he was a dancer and backing vocalist for Alredo Mos before going solo. For the two artists, it will be like a case in which a former teacher meets a former student in a competition.
It should also be noted that when Franco released his very first Rhumba album, the scales shifted as he became an instant hit delegating Alfredo Moss to the lower position something which many people believed to have caused animosity among the two artists as they rarely share the stage. Franco recently released his 14th album titled Eya le nna Babilone. Alfredo Mos on the other hand has not released a studio album for a very long time.
The Kwambala Cup music festival will give his fans a rare opportunity to catch their man on stage as it has been a while since he last performed in Francistown. The other Rhumba giant Matheatau who also seems to have lost fire as shown by lack of any recent studio works, will also give his fans an opportunity to remember the days gone by when his stage beef with Franco was a known secret until he grabbed the bragging rights at Blue Tree in Gaborone some years back. Since he grabbed the much talked about bragging rights Matheatau, has never come to the party as Franco went on to humble him with Siphiri Sedule which he countered with his last offering The Big Boss which did not do well in the market.
Chakabuya who is also a former dancer and drummer for Alfredo Mos, will have the opportunity to outdo his former master in a contest alongside his celebrated son Shikito. Chakabuya and Shikito have so far made rounds in Francistown during the show’s activation promotions around the second city. Other artists from other genres expected to grace the show include Ramuzara, Acuz, Chase, MC Maswe, Dinkwe Nkgoga Big Nose, Maghebula, Mazganda.com, Kelly jazz and Madala plus many more.
