ATI takes his one man show to Ghetto
Mompati Tlhankane | Thursday January 20, 2022 12:53
Twenty percent of the proceeds from the concert titled ‘As One, Towards National Prosperity’ will be donated to charity.
The relocation of the show comes a day after another top musician Vee Mampeezy abandoned his initial idea of also hosting a one man show. Fans have been rallying behind the Ke lekhete hitmaker to take on the challenge and host a one man show, something they feel he is capable of putting together.
One man shows are becoming popular since Rhumba veteran Franco started the trend in 2020 before it was postponed to this coming April because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, ATI real name Atlasaone Molemogi revealed that he would have opted not to do the event but his partners Blue Skies PR convinced him that he can really do it. He said when people started to rally behind him about the one man show he saw an opportunity to express different content released during the past decade.
“Blue Skies getting me on board to try something different came at the right time and it is something I haven’t done in a long time. The last time I did something beyond myself was in 2014 when I had a lot of raw energy and power,” he added. ATI also said not giving up on his love for music is a blessing.
The energetic performer said the event will be hosted in Francistown because it is one of the places which is different especially for an event of that magnitude. He said the theme ‘National Prosperity’ is derived from the influence of seeing ATI changing into the person who is better that the person people used to know. “Every one of us has a situation that they are dealing with.
With me most of my battles are in the public domain and the public has been more than supportive,” he highlighted. The Khiring khiring khorong khorong hitmaker also indicated that As One music festival will be a high quality musical production done by Braveheart and would be higher that what he has done before. “I want to set the bar so high that anybody who would think on an average of 10 would think of 60. I want to take it to an unlimited state of expression of art,” he said. ATI stated that the one man show is not related to ego nor meant to overstep anybody’s boundaries. He said instead of making others feel smaller than they are people should pick each other up.
The singer said there was so many times where he thought of quitting music but years on he is still at it. He said everyone knows about his struggle with substance abuse. “It is one of the things which don’t only infect you on neural level but also on a soul level. With me and my resilience and knowing how substance abuse has taken so many talented people like Mandoza and Whitney Houston so I believe in taking my chances.
We have so many addictions in so many levels and mine just happen to be substance abuse. I let it out there because I am not only fighting demons but I am also fighting myself,” he said. ATI said 20% of the festival proceeds will be donated to SOS and some towards Miss Botswana 2021/22 Palesa Molefe’s project. He said before his battle with drugs he used to work with SOS and no wonder he wants to revive that relationship. Kesego Okie from Blue Skies PR said they have partnered with ATI because he is such a talented, humble, hardworking and visionary artist. She said they have been receiving messages of support from the public asking ATI to do the one man show.
Okie also said they have been working with ATI for the past eight months and they had since realised that the last time ATI did something of his own was during the of Envelope album at Maitisong few years back. Okie pointed out that ATI loves Botswana and his intention is to encourage the spirit of oneness among Batswana.