Granny inspires Legends Rapoko’s love for poetry
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday June 23, 2025 06:00
In an interview with Arts&Culture, the youngster said his grandmother used to recite poems and sing Setswana songs that he enjoyed listening to a lot growing up. He added that he also grew up listening to Radio Botswana 1 (RB1) Dipina le Maboko program that plays traditional songs and poetry. His love for Setswana culture, especially language, did not end there but was also cultivated by always watching President's Day poetry competitions. That made him love poetry.
'I started trying to mimic local talented poets such as Tsikitsiki.. After the competitions, I would lock myself in the room and try mimick them. One day, whilst still at junior secondary school in, I decided to participate in the arts competition under the poetry category and scooped the first position. I was awarded the best poet award. That motivated me and earned me recognition from the elders and my peers,' he said proudly.
After getting recognition from his junior secondary school years, the young man said he not only got motivated but decided to take traditional poetry seriously, hence his decision to do it a lot in senior secondary. He said he finally got recognition from his Kgosi, Puso Gaborone of Batlokwa, when performing whilst still at Gaborone Senior Secondary (GSS), that there was a new and young talented poet from his village.
After his BGCSE, he said he took part in the President's Day poetry competition and scooped position one. That was his biggest breakthrough, as he said he then started being booked to recite poems at various occasions. Speaking of his memorable performance, he said it was during the Batlokwa cultural festival dubbed Mafifatshwana and recently at the Dikgafela cultural event.
Moreover, just like other creative minds, Legends Rapoko pointed out that he faced a financial challenge. He explained that despite their immense talents, event organisers did not pay them enough, as most of them think they do their art to pass the time.
Speaking of his achievements, he said he was glad that at his age, he managed to make a name for himself and earned respect and dignity among the community. He added that he was also teaching other young people traditional poetry in the likes of Setlogolo Sa Batswana poet whom he groomed into a good poet. He added that he also looks up to Serurubele, whose birth names are Edwin Moroka and Emmanuel Boefelo, also famed as Mmasekgethu. He also has international poets he looks up to, though he says he forgets their names but knows them through their poems.
'In the next few years, I believe that I will manage to achieve all my dreams and needs through poetry. I want to see poetry as a business that can provide for me and, like any other profession, enable me to build myself a house and a company where I will continue teaching the youngsters the importance of traditional poetry. I have many poems written that I have not yet published due to financial constraints. I would one day love to publish my poetry book,' he ended.