Mlesho looks beyond borders

Mlesho has come a long way since his days as a back up dancer. He would later start a solo career and while things were slow, he persevered until he recently came up with a hit song, Hlomela, that not only set tongues wagging with it’s cheeky lyrics, but got everyone, from the president of the country to the elderly and children singing along and gyrating to the beat like their life depends on it; moving about on tip toe and furiously shaking their waists.

Hlomela brought the much needed vra vroom to local music and redefined popular culture music in modern Botswana. Soon after, almost everyone wanted a piece of Mlesho. He has to date headlined many shows and remains a favourite for Batswana. And who will forget the time he got president Khama doing the Hlomela dance at the Khawa festival earlier this year?

Local music artists are often stifled by the small population and the lack of support and eventually leave in search of greener pastures, often in South Africa and Mlesho is no exception. We await his next hit with bated breath! Popular kwaito house music artist, Mlesho, is on the brink of signing with a reputable South African based record label. A source close to the artist who has been enjoying the limelight, informed this publication that Mlesho is poring over a contract given to him by a record label with major offices in Johannesburg.

Mlesho was initially cagey with information when contacted for comment but eventually confirmed that he is indeed on the brink of being signed by a reputable South African record label. He said that the record label developed interest in him following the popularity of his hit song Hlomela, which went viral and even earned him a Song of the Year gong at the 2016 Botswana Musician Union awards. Mlesho however insisted that he would not divulge the name of the record label for fear of jeopardising and jinxing the plans he has.

He however agreed that Mzansi is a great market for any hardworking artist as there is good money to be made in that country, largely because of the higher population which translates to more gigs and a larger fan base, unlike in Botswana, where the population is low and the entertainment industry is still growing. “This often makes it difficult for artists to reach platinum on sales and even their growth is stifled,” he said. Mlesho added that he would return to recording once he had sealed the dealwith the record label. “I promise you that I am going to release a hit song that will surpass Hlomela,” he said.