Notes and Strokes – Ditsala blends music, dance in cross-border collaboration

Laone Choeunyane | Wednesday March 11, 2026 09:27

Meaning “friends” in Setswana, Ditsala lived up to its name, uniting performers from Botswana, South Africa and the United States in a performance that explored cultural connection through sound, movement and visual expression.

At the centre of the musical programme were vocalists, Queen Garekwe and Debbie with a T, who guided the audience through a repertoire that moved comfortably between traditional Setswana melodies and contemporary soul and R&B influences.

Backed by the New Moon Ensemble band, the two delivered a set of original compositions written by Garekwe, Debbie with a T and Nicole Martinez, adding an intimate and personal layer to the performance.

The production’s choreography reflected the spirit of fusion. Dancers from the New Moon Ensemble shifted seamlessly between traditional Batswana movement vocabulary, hip-hop elements and contemporary dance, creating a fluid visual language that mirrored the show’s theme of dialogue between cultures and generations.

One of the evening’s most memorable moments came during a segment that incorporated archival footage of Basarwa communities projected onto the dancers’ costumes.

As the performers moved across the stage, the projected imagery blended with their bodies, creating a layered visual effect that linked historical memory with contemporary performance.

The production was conceived by New Moon Ensemble founder and artistic director Moratiwa Molema, who also stepped forward during the evening to deliver a spoken-word performance that connected many of the themes explored on stage.

Speaking about the origins of the project, Molema explained that the collaboration was sparked by South African visual artist Nico Phooko.

“We started the show because of Nico Phooko,” she said. “He is a visual artist who loves music, and after meeting during previous workshops and collaborations he approached me about working together. He had a vision that involved traditional music and different artistic elements, so I designed a show around that idea.”

The collaboration was made possible through a cultural exchange initiative supported by the Goethe-Institut South Africa, thus allowing artists from different countries to work together on a shared creative project.

Adding an international dimension to the performance was American spoken-word artist, Frederick Douglas Knowles II.

Accompanied by a live band and supported by movement from the dancers, Knowles delivered a powerful poetic piece reflecting on Black identity and resilience across the African diaspora.

His performance referenced figures such as Bob Marley, Patrice Lumumba and Muhammad Ali, weaving their legacies into a spoken-word narrative that resonated strongly with the audience. Another highlight of the evening was a tribute to legendary South African trumpeter, the late Hugh Masekela.

Lesedi Ntsane, a trumpeter originally from Lesotho and now based in South Africa, led a moving rendition of Masekela’s iconic composition Stimela, accompanied by contemporary dance and spoken word elements that added new texture to the familiar melody.

Meanwhile, Phooko worked quietly on stage throughout the performance, painting live as the music and movement unfolded around him. By the end of the evening, the canvas had transformed into an abstract visual response shaped by the rhythms and energy of the performance.

Reflecting on the experience afterwards, Phooko said the atmosphere of the evening guided his work.

“The atmosphere tonight, the music, the dancing and the people here who appreciate art, all influenced what I put on the canvas,” he said.

By the final bow, Notes and Strokes – Ditsala had showcased the power of collaboration between artists working across disciplines and borders.