Kero: The voice behind Makwakwa�s hit song, Makgarebe
Monkagedi Gaothobogwe | Monday November 17, 2014 16:37
Keromemang K Mothibamele aka Kero, is both the composer and lead singer of the hit song, Kgarebe (Tsholetsa makgabe), whose poetic melody is being celebrated across Botswana and in South Africa.
The hit has earned Makwakwa three BOMU nominations; Best Traditional, Song of the Year, and Best Group.
The beauty of the poetic arrangement of the lyrics and the sweet vocal delivery of the song Kgarebe simply catapults Makwakwa Cultural group into a league of its own.
According to the group director, Ronald Makaleng, the song has taken their popularity to new heights.
“They have been to Japan recently at the invitation of the Botswana embassy after someone there picked the song on YouTube.
“We also had the honour to perform at the Khawa Dunes Challenge earlier this year, courtesy of this song; we are getting noticed more, and we have become a very busy group with invitations coming from the corporate sector, weddings andfamily events,” said Makaleng. Although she is born in 1984, Kero sings the song using very rich Tswana dance and cultural concepts.
The song is a celebration of the art of traditional dance, and she gives it an interesting dramatic twist.
“In the olden days a woman was married because of her talents and skills; I thought of the dancing skills of a woman who could mesmerise and melt hearts with her dancing skills,” she gushed in an interview. Indeed Tswana folklore is awash with tales of highly talented dancers whose ability to expertly move her body could melt the prince’s heart.
Despite the artistry in the song, Kero says it is only her second composition for the group after a cameo in the debut album more than two years ago.
The singer, who hails from Mmakgori village in Borolong, says when she joined Makwakwa Group in 2009, she was virtually clueless about song writing and short of confidence, but working with the group has given her the freedom to express and discover herself.
Five years on, the composer, who is now definitely the toast of the local folklore music, says it took her less than a week to have the song in its current form and shape.
“Makwakwa had long shown they believe in my abilities. They had their own expectations about me because I have passion for music,” said Kero.
She is the first to admit that when she hears the song playing on radio she is lost for words.
“It is something else. I feel like crying when I hear it playing. I cry and thank God for this talent. It is the magnificence that I have never experienced in my life since I was born,” she concludes.