Ko Setlhareng Dot. Com means business

CHIPPA LEGODIMO
Correspondent | Thursday January 15, 2009 00:00

 

It has now grown into a brand and now caters for almost everybody who cares to listen to music.

From an old man who passionately followed South Africa's Mahlathini and Mahotela Queens during his time at the South African mines to a youngsters in baggy pants  and a 50cent necklace or an old-time pantsula with Brent Wood pants and Crocket and Jones sharp pointed shoes, you will never be let down. Peta Teanat, Cheek-to-Cheek and Volcano, they have them all or if they do not have it they can order it for you. 

Even better, if you are an ardent follower of local music then KoSetlhareng is just the right place for you. Hip-hop, borankana or gospel, are all for you.

After eight years of existence,  the owners of the company, Eric and Tex Ramogobya, are now putting plans in place to expand to other areas of the country.

'KoSetlhareng has grown since 2001 when Tex and I came up with that idea of selling CDs under that tree and I cannot say how far our plans to expand are. But all I can tell you is that we are going to be following that route.

It has done a lot for us, the people relate to it in a special way and obviously those people who normally visit it from outside Gaborone are wishing it could also open branches in their localities,' Eric said. According to him, the outlet has grown because  they (owners) take keen interest in giving people the kind of music that they want .

'Most music stores sell music that they believe  can sell and if you want something that they do not have they simply tell you 'we do not sell such things', but with us we give  people what they want. For instance you can buy a CD that you only heard playing somewhere but you do not know the name or the artist singing. At KoSetlhareng you are at liberty to even mimic and if we do not have it we will go research and find it for you no matter how old it might be,' he said.

'We have some songs that people have only heard on Radio Botswana's Thibang Diphotlha and Dipina Le Mabogo programmes that you cannot get anywhere else.  We know that even some young people are interested in yester-year hits,' he said.

But it is not surprising that KoSetlhareng has grown and sustained itself for so long. It is owned by two brothers who are passionate about music.

Eric is the managing director of Eric Ramco Records, one of the pioneer music labels in Botswana while his young brother Tex owns Kalakuta Records.