On the evening of July 30, the Upright African Movement will host a networking event for rappers who work in Setswana. The event dubbed Motswako Mixxa will be held at the No.1 Ladies CoffeeHouse in Gaborone and will feature a special appearance by award-winning actor and Motswako artist, Zenzo Ngqobe. One of the highlights of the evening will be a rap battle with the winners taking home prizes that include paid studio time to record their demos. Although most Batswana will know Ngqobe from his role in the Oscar-winning film Tsotsi, this event will also be an opportunity for Ngqobe to share about his journey as a rapper working in Setswana.
While in the country, the veteran entertainer will be hosted by the Upright African Movement. Ngqobe will be participating in the event through his foundation called Zenzo Ngqobe Foundation. Through his foundation, the actor gives skills to underprivileged youth across the southern African region. "We want the youth from the townships to have the same skills and same networks that help them in life. Motswako is the future. We must be doing things in service of our communities," says Ngqobe. In recent decades, the motswako scene in Botswana has grown in leaps and bounds.
From the turn of the millenium to now, more rappers have become interested in working in Setswana. Many prominent musicians in the Botswana music industry, include Scar, Zeus and others President of the Upright African Movement, Donald Molosi says, "We at the Upright African Movement are constantly trying to find new ways of keeping our indigenous languages alive. Motswako is an ancient artform that is having a renaissance. It is a great way to access Setswana." Motswako is a Southern African subgenre of hip hop, popular in South Africa. It consists of a mix of rap lyrics in both the local language (Setswana) and English layered on a steady beat. Other languages used include Sesotho, Zulu and Afrikaans as per the rapper's origin.
The genre gained popularity in the late nineties as Botswana and South African acts started rapping in Setswana, resulting in an increased following. Because of its reputation in South Africa, most of the upcoming artists use this genre as a base before they start their music careers because of its basic principles, a good motswako artist have to learn the creative writing skills used to perfect the genre, making it easy to learn and write music. Today there is a large pool of motswako artists in Botswana and South Africa.
While in the country, the veteran entertainer will be hosted by the Upright African Movement. Ngqobe will be participating in the event through his foundation called Zenzo Ngqobe Foundation. Through his foundation, the actor gives skills to underprivileged youth across the southern African region. "We want the youth from the townships to have the same skills and same networks that help them in life. Motswako is the future. We must be doing things in service of our communities," says Ngqobe. In recent decades, the motswako scene in Botswana has grown in leaps and bounds.
From the turn of the millenium to now, more rappers have become interested in working in Setswana. Many prominent musicians in the Botswana music industry, include Scar, Zeus and others President of the Upright African Movement, Donald Molosi says, "We at the Upright African Movement are constantly trying to find new ways of keeping our indigenous languages alive. Motswako is an ancient artform that is having a renaissance. It is a great way to access Setswana." Motswako is a Southern African subgenre of hip hop, popular in South Africa. It consists of a mix of rap lyrics in both the local language (Setswana) and English layered on a steady beat. Other languages used include Sesotho, Zulu and Afrikaans as per the rapper's origin.
The genre gained popularity in the late nineties as Botswana and South African acts started rapping in Setswana, resulting in an increased following. Because of its reputation in South Africa, most of the upcoming artists use this genre as a base before they start their music careers because of its basic principles, a good motswako artist have to learn the creative writing skills used to perfect the genre, making it easy to learn and write music. Today there is a large pool of motswako artists in Botswana and South Africa.
