Gaborone’s hip hop lovers, r&b lovers, dancehall lovers ad those general people that need a fresh thing to do on a Saturday evening choose to go to these sessions. I wake up sore and tired but with a great smile on my face every Sunday morning, sometimes a reminder or flashback will pass through my mind as I am cleaning the house or preparing Sunday lunch. An air of satisfaction passes through my body and myself agrees with myself – yeah, last night was dope!
There is a sense of familiarity with people that attend each others’ events, a strong energy of support and confidence. Mainly because they are attending these events for themselves, because they enjoy plays in the bushes or in the theatre, dancing at a club to good quality music played by a good quality dee-jay, or poetry sessions and soccer games (usually themed at bar restaurants). For me, the joy comes from watching people get along, debate, interact but being together all the same. You see things you would never have seen given a regular day at the queue in a bank.
These events eradicate any sense of inhibition or doubt. People say things, silly, funny, serious, frank, honest, sweet and shocking at these gatherings. There was a point when there was a couple on the dance floor and they were enjoying themselves. Hectically (the only PC way I could describe it). I tapped my friend, who is usually the camera-man at the sessions, and I show him the couple. He tells his partner to take a snap. Given the shot, it was good and epitomised the meaning: getting down on the floor. You would think that they knew each other from a long time but they had just bumped into each other on the dance floor, hit the same move and were drawn towards each other. Then it was on!
Complete strangers, who are probably not going to ever meet again, there was no exchange of numbers or names, just a common song that got them on their musical tangent. I couldn’t stop laughing and not because it was funny, but it felt good seeing that. It was x-rated situations, in fact, I envied them that for 3-5minutes of a song, they did not say a word to each other, they just danced, when the song ended, each went back to their respected acquaintances. Simple. Good “ol’clean” fun.
Finally, all my hopes of there being more than one person out there who wants to have pure fun on a Saturday evening are not in vain. It was not only them, the thing is every one that went there was there to relax, mingle, chat and not be seen, or grab the most attention. To listen to some Good “ol’hip” hop jams, local jams and one of our countries most talented urban youth disc jockeys.
Big up to the Marked Men, DJ Fauz and Wife Petula El-kindiy, Ozzy the Great and everyone else that takes time to relax and have a good time. Strength, smiles and good times.
