Moroba cautions women with Botlhapise Bokgarebe
Teichler Rankoa | Wednesday September 10, 2014 12:07
The album, Botlhapise Bokgarebe featuring Botoka Moroke, was released last week. It contains eight tracks namely Botlhapise Bokgarebe as the title track, Tsala, Phikoko, Bokamoso, Banna, Mphe lorato, Ditsala and Sweet My Dali.
Micky, however, has decided to drop Micky as her stage name and she now goes by the name Moroba. Moroba said she wants to add to the voice of female artists in Botswana, mainly those who are doing traditional music, who in her view are few at the moment. Moroba told Showbiz that although Botlhapise Bokgarebe is her first traditional music album, she is not new to the music industry.
She pointed out that she has been in the industry for a while having worked under Mr Tagg’s stable as a lead vocalist for Dvyne group. She later joined The Rokas, under Frank ‘Franco’ Lesokwane stable, as a lead singer and dancer.
The Ramotswa-born artist would later join Ekentolo during their Afro-Pop Volume 3 album as Micky for one year, and after realising her growth on the stage, Moroba decided to try something for herself. Having done Afro-Pop for some years, she decided to settle for the genre, releasing her debut album Ba A Balabala, which she admits did not do as she had anticipated in the market.
She, however, said her album not selling well taught her valuable lessons. Moroba said she re-evaluated how she could improve as an artist, and that is when she realised that her strength is in traditional music. She said she instantly decided that she wanted to make music that could compete with that of the already established artists in Botswana, including Culture Spears, Shumba Ratshega, Ditiro ‘DT’ Leero, Maghebula and Gong Master. Now that Moroba has followed her talent and love, with Botlhapise Bokgarebe, she promises traditional music lovers the best.
She added that the title track, Botlhapise Bokgarebe, has an important message to all women, saying that they should bath thoroughly if they want to attract men because they(men) cannot fall for a dirty woman. All the songs in this album are in Setswana, and the composer and writer is Botoka Moroke, lead volcalists are Dineo ‘Moroba’ Matlhabe and Madrama. The keyboardist is Botoka Moroke and Madrama. The album was recorded at Red Dot Records in South Africa.