MMP Family aims for international stardom
Chippa Legodimo | Wednesday September 10, 2014 12:13
Perseverance has been the name of the game for the youngsters from Gaborone West who are currently riding the crest. They secure performing slots at major gigs and dominate the airwaves as radio personalities find it hard to ignore their records.
Their performance at the recent Gaborone International Music and Culture Week proved their mettle as kwaito kingpins. Their first release Tlala Ka Lepantsula, which seems to only recently be gaining popularity, left the audience screaming and calling for more.
Ironically, this track was released in 2010, but never created much excitement until of late. Another song, which seemed to have endeared the young musicians to the masses is Lebala Ka Nna, a composition about two partners whose relationship has ended bitterly.
While one of them tries to salvage something out of the love scraps, the other partner clearly is no longer interested hence the message, ‘just forget about me’.
After testing the waters with the single Tlala Ka Lepantsula, the group then released their debut album MoSpacing in 2012.
It proved a real revelation for the group made up of Modiri ‘M.O.D.’ Nage, Tebogo ‘Nzico’ Baipedi and Mothusi ‘Ples’ Jackalas, earning them a Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) award for Best Kwaito Album. They were also nominated in two other categories for Best Group and Best Newcomer.
Such an achievement, coming just two years after the group was formed, spurred the youngsters to aim higher. “We have never doubted our talents right from our days at school when we used to perform other people’s songs during various gatherings. But after winning the award we felt anything was possible. In fact, the nomination alone was enough motivation,” Nage told
Showbiz. Their profile was lifted a little higher when their music started playing on Channel O.
Last year MMP Family did not release any album as the focus was still on marketing the name and their debut, according to Nage. The group’s next album is due this month, but two singles have already been released for promotion.
“In January we released a single called Problem Child and it has done very well. Requests for its play pour in at radio stations and during our live performances. But it is just a synopsis of what the whole album is made of. Lebala Kanna is also very popular,” he said. These childhood friends are yet to reach all the corners of this country, but are already aiming to conquer the international market.
“We want to see ourselves going beyond our borders. We want to perform in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia but it has to start at home. We are planning to spread our music to other areas of this country, far from Gaborone. Soon we shall be touring to promote our brand,” Nage said.