Thobane: National anthem personified
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Sunday April 3, 2022 14:17
Dr Vom, whose birth names are Kangangwani Mogocha, was born in 1977 at Dakwi in the North East District, an area not known for Dikhwaere. Surprisingly, every event he performs at, he steals the show.
Although Dr Vom was known during the time when he was still an Afropop singer, his Dikhwaere songs gained him even more fame and made him one of the most loved artistes in the country. To that extent, many people are confused about his origin, some claiming that he is from Kgatleng, while others think he is from Molepolole but many believe he is from Sefhophe. However, Dr Vom was raised at Tati Siding.
The Dikhwaere music legend started his journey in 1997 at World of Music School where he learnt the basics of music and the entertainment industry. In an interview with Arts & Culture, Dr Vom said he started his career as an Afro-pop artist. By then he called himself Vomit and released his first album, Matshidiso in 2001. In 2006 he rebranded from Vomit to Dr Vom and released his last Afro Pop album named Mathaithai with his then famous song Ntate mpatele molekane.
The popular Thobane was released in November 2007 then followed by Ke tshwana le Moshe album in 2009. However, in 2012 Dr Vom then released a gospel album named Send your Fire. He said his last release was Tlhabano in 2016.
However, throughout all the other releases, Thobane remains a great song.
“There is no secret behind it (Thobane) but a revelation. It is in the open that the song touches base with every one and everybody.
It resonates well with all races, all tribes, all classes and all ages. It is a song received and approved by many for different occasions. It the biggest song after the National Anthem. Both corporate and informal sectors have adopted this song as their symbol of joy and celebration, the national teams or representative use Thobane for their identification on the international arena. The foreign missions and consulates pride in Thobane and I am very proud to say almost all Botswana embassies have played this song in their official events abroad at one point to show pride,” he explained. Dr Vom added that Batswana in the diaspora used the song wherever they were based when they miss home. He explained that Thobane was uniquely made by authentic sounds being the claps, foot steps, megolokwane, phala and careful selection of instruments making it what it is.
Furthermore, he noted that there were three albums after Thobane that many do not know about not because they were not good but because their timing was not right. He said Thobane had not expended its lease of life adding that the unknown albums were equally good if not better than Thobane. However, he pointed out that it was now the time for Thobane.
Additionally, he said he learnt that in the music world, artistes identity was very important in their career that is why he deliberately chose to brand Dr Vom by the same outfit that was inspired by the song Thobane.
“The song is an unchanging force therefore a deliberate decision to stay the same , be consistent and go with the energies that the song radiates when it was made. This attire has been consistent and will stay the same until the song suggests to the contrary. Note that this purapura is one, and it has been on stage every time Dr Vom performs since 2007, that is 15 years. The STICK (Thobane) has been in use for the last 15 years.
This makes the outfit to be the most worn in the world. Thobane is the most performed song in Botswana; this is growth. The power of Thobane speaks to the hearts of people, even myself at times I do not know how. If you can ask many of revelers who enjoy this song what makes them pick up stuff and go wild when they hear this song on stage they will not have answers. It is unexplainable; this song is great, this song has made Dr Vom.”
“Do you know that this song made our 50 years celebrations memorable? The same power that drives every heart found access to penetrate the then President of Botswana Seretse Khama Ian Khama stand up and dance. From then my Iife had never been the same. He gave the song a new lease of life. There is no greater song than Thobane at the moment. Dr Vom is known because of Thobane, I survive because of Thobane. My children go to school because of this song. Above all people enjoy events because of this song. Ask promoters who are honest they will tell you that Thobane has made their shows,” he boasted.
Even though the international market has not yet opened up much to his music because less effort had been made to penetrate it, Dr Vom said very soon he would embark on aggressive international marketing because there are lot of prospects as demonstrated by the joy people of all races that had come across his songs song. He added that the biggest of them all was that Thobane made the President and the whole country dance, not once, not twice but many times.
However, the music maestro has never won any award in Botswana or outside yet termed the King of Dikhwaere, which he sees as a great award conferred by the streets. He also pointed out that music or creative industry was a challenge in itself. He explained that one needed to stay relevant at all times. Dr Vom added that they needed money in the industry to stay afloat but regretted that sponsorships and endorsement deals in Botswana were not common for artists and their events. “I think I have to maintain what has brought me this far, of course not overlooking new trends and innovations. You re-boot the system, it comes back reformed and stay relevant in the new laws and the system. That is what we call adaptation. We try by all means to analyse every year with its trends and systems and take advantage of them.
You may think Dr Vom has been the same all this years but no, there are some elements that change, the general appearance stays almost the same. An example is a deliberate decision to stop performing shows in the regular shows in the halls and bars and focus only on corporate, private, cultural and mega shows. My decision to pause all releases and focus on Thobane requires diligence, careful analysis and creativity to be able to compete with artists who are releasing new music every year. This is what keeps me relevant from year to year,” he said. Meanwhile, Dr Vom’s advice to the upcoming stars is that they must follow their hearts and be unique. He urged them to identify their niche market and focus there and not to be confused by the competitors. “I have identified that Thobane is my bread and I have focused on it even though I have many songs I love; I am strategic here, give them what they need,” he ended.