The endangered Freedom Square choral music
Edward Mpoloka | Wednesday March 26, 2014 16:11
The messages communicated by the parties through song and dance were consistent with the issues of the time.
For instance, because the Botswana Peoples’ Party (BPP) and Botswana National Front (BNF) were decidedly revolutionary, their songs were anti-protectorate rule in favour of independence.
The songs were used to whip up anti-protectorate sentiments. The choirs also sang against racism of the day as witnessed in neighbouring South Africa and Zimbabwe when it was still Rhodesia.
The choristers also belted tunes on exploitation and myriad alienation policies of the protectorate government, in the process engendering nationalist consciousness amongst the people.
The Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), whose attitude towards the protectorate government was conciliatory, sang a rather conciliatory tune.
The significance of choral music did not diminish with the attainment of independence in 1966. Candidate launches and ordinary political rallies were not complete without choirs.
When the occasion called for it, choirs from other constituencies and regions were invited to spice up the event. Sometimes choirs came together at a rally and constituted a mass choir.
Draped in home-tailored attire in party colours, the choirs, without any instrumental accompaniment, set the tone of the whole event by singing praise songs of their election candidates. The candidates could be Councillors, Members of Parliament, the party itself and its leadership.
This also provided the needed free entertainment. On the other hand, the opposing candidate, councillor, Member of Parliament, his or her party leadership would be subjected to sarcasm, innuendo and insinuations of the highest order. The downside is that there has, of late, been a decline in the participation of choirs at the freedom square.
Instead of live choirs, entertainment is provided mainly by hired bands who will usually be dancing and miming to pre-recorded or instrumental music.
Asked about the new development, an elderly BDP member who is a resident of Old Naledi in Gaborone who preferred anonymity, expressed disappointment.
“Instrumentals seem to have replaced our old-time choirs even in church unfortunately,” she said.
Her argument is that, the decline in the use of choirs has left a gaping hole at gatherings of our political parties.
“Unlike the bands, which have become so trendy, the choirs, which were constituted by the youth members of the concerned party, are the product of political mobilisation.
“They perform for free while bands are paid. Bands are mercenaries. The songs by the choirs were full of meaning having been composed by politicians for political occasions,” added the woman. In her view, choirs nurtured the youth in politics.
“The involvement of the youth in choirs facilitated grassroots participation in politics.
“It also gave the youth the opportunity to interact with politics at a young age, thereby giving them the right political orientation.
“Choirs also developed the spirit of volunteerism among the youth because the singers also doubled as members of the campaign teams during elections,” remembered the woman.
According to her, unlike bands, the party choirs sang with deep-seated passion, as they were members of the party for which they performed. Take veteran composer and conductor, Agisanyang ‘Shakes’ Seleka, who sang for and conducted several BNF choirs in Gaborone before defecting to the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) where he is doing the same. Seleka says that mere singing at the rallies attracted people to join the party concerned.
“Some staunch members of our political party joined the party after stumbling upon a rally where a good choir was performing.
“Once they joined and attended practice, they bonded with the other singers.
“They grew in the knowledge of this particular party as they would be called upon to attend rallies where they would listened to the politicians,” he says.
Like the elderly woman, Seleka feels the bands should not replace the old type choirs.
“When a choir from a particular locality is performing, the people in that locality, even adults, identify with both the choir and the party it belongs to,” he reasons.
Seleka says if the party has the money, it should spend it on its own members rather than hire the impossibly expensive bands.
BDP Member of Parliament for Molepolole South and Assistant Minister of Health, Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri, is a long time composer and conductor of several BDP choirs.
Admitting the decline of the political choirs, as we knew them, he however believes that choirs will never die.
“Admittedly, the youth prefer instrumentals. I still use choirs in Molepolole and the BDP annual music competitions still take place.
“We still use choirs to fundraise albeit to a lesser extent,” says the BDP veteran.
On the importance of the political choirs as stables of political orientation, Matlhabaphiri says that he knows a lot of politicians who got political orientation by singing in his choirs.
“Some of them are councillors,” he says proudly. Going forward, the MP says that, instead of attempting to stop change, people must adjust. “Some of my choirs practice with Socca Moruakgomo. It is possible to blend choral and instrumental,” he advises, adding that the CD will be available soon.