The Natives strike Jazz chord
Lewanika Timothy | Wednesday April 1, 2026 06:00
From the rolling drum to the buzzing bass guitar and Tomeletso Sereetsi’s vocals, the Philharmonic experience served as a reminder of why live performances are the fabric of the music industry. Held at Maitisong Theatre, the Philharmonic showcase drew a diverse crowd of music enthusiasts with a startling attendance by young people who sang heartily to Seeretsi's music.
The event was nothing short of an evening anchored on rhythm, storytelling and cultural expression.
Sereetsi's performances are seamless reflections of Botswana’s culture and identity, with his lyrics resonating to yesteryear Botswana folklore and dynamic expressions of Batswana everyday f living.
The “Natives” as they identify were treated to bangers such as Robete. This is an intriguing song about a Tswana family confronted by a shocking scenario in which one of the family members is in a homosexual relationship and now wants to marry his partner.
“What an abomination!” that’s how the family responds. “Lo kile lwa se bona kae ngwetsi e bidiwa Robete. But Abuti Rankokwanyane is a man in love...o lela a ikgagolaka.” So the song goes on.
The youthful crowd stayed on their feet as Sereetsi rolled into some of his well known favourites, including Mpompela, a bass laden track that had revellers moving in circles in sync with the songs rhythm.
The energy barely dipped a notch between sets, with each transition met by thunderous cheers and applause from the audience that was clearly locked into the performance.
At several points the crowd sang along, sometimes leading the lyrics making the show a shared experience rather than a one-sided act.
The band fed off that momentum, with the instrumentalists taking turns to individually show off their prowess and the uniqueness of their instruments.
Delivering a brief speech during the show, Sereetsi explained the events main purpose. He said it was meant to remind the world that live performances aren’t going away despite the surging use of technology to make songs and beats in the modern musical area.
For him, live performances were an opportunity to bring live shows away from the margins of the music industry.
“Tonight is a reminder that live music still exists, I know the industry is adopting the use of AI for generating beats and melodies but the reason why some of us exist is to remind the world that live performances are not going anywhere,” he told the audience.
The event also featured an orchestra performance with partnership with Kingdom Arts academy that grooms musicians.