Brenda celebrates 26 years in music
Staff Writer | Friday August 21, 2015 15:29
The lineup for the event includes John Selolwane, Friends of Friends Jazz Band, JJ, George Swabi from Botswana and Linda Mpale of Umvuso Band, South Africa.
To put the cherry on top Brenda’s new CD will be released on the same day and she will sample some tunes from the album.
“Celebrations are done when a child is born, at graduations, weddings and birthdays, and such celebrations are usually done with friends and relatives,” the elated Brenda said.
Kgalagadi Jazz Beats, a jazz promotional outfit will be coordinating the event.
Its founder and director, Shima Monageng also known as Uncle Shima of Gabz fm, said they are delighted and honoured to coordinate the event aimed at celebrating Brenda’s well-lived musical life.
Uncle Shima explained that he has known Brenda for years as both musician and friend.
“Brenda is a strikingly positive and loving person who sings in Setswana, English, Zulu, Xhosa, Swahili and Nyanja.
“Her music can be described and defined as a fusion of Afro-soul and soul-jazz notes. I have over the years watched her perform live. She is magical and a marvel on stage,” Uncle Shima said.
The event is scheduled to start in the morning till evening since it is planned to be a family event.
The event will have jumping castles and face painting for children, while jazz lovers are serenaded with some smooth sounds, said the jazz promoter and presenter at Gabz fm.
Brenda’s music career took off and blossomed in 1989 when she won the Star Makers Talent at the Cameo Night Club.
This prize catapulted her into a household name in the music fraternity in Gaborone. She won herself a six-month contract with Gaborone Sun Hotel to play in their classy and exclusive Giovanis Restaurant and the poolside deck on Sundays.
She performed with the support of the Coppertone Band from Cape Town.
In 1990, she collaborated with the Broadways Band from Zambia at the Cameo Night Club for four months.
She then quickly moved to play at the prestigious Sheraton Hotel at the Grand Palm. In 1992, she was invited to South Africa and played alongside Mpale and his band at the Blue Fountain Jazz Club and several high-end establishments in Johannesburg.
Armed with this experience from South Africa, she came back to Botswana and announced her supremacy as an accomplished jazz musician of note. She partnered with the Clear Vision Band touring all over Botswana to showcase her vocal prowess.
This landed her a lucrative contract with the Cresta President Hotel in 1994 as their resident entertainer. Due to her overwhelming mass appeal, in 1995, Brenda joined forces with the popular Unity Band, where she displayed her musical ingenuity performing for corporate and private functions including weddings.
In keeping with this exceptional vocal delivery, she was invited to be party to the Motseleng Black Label Tour sponsored by Lovers Plus. She toured all the four corners of this country and was a runaway success.
With her reputation as the ‘most sought-after leading woman in music’ in Botswana, Riley’s Hotel in Maun and the Mowana Lodge in Kasane contracted her as resident entertainer.
In 2002, she was offered an exciting role of Public Relations and Marketing Manager for Maun Lodge in addition to an entertainment contract. By 2004, Brenda had crafted a profile and reputation that equalled many regional and international notable jazz and Afro Jazz musician like Judith Sephuma, Gloria Bosman to name a few.
In recognition of her versatility, professional etiquette and mass appeal among jazz lovers in the country she was invited to play alongside veteran jazz maestro Jimmy Dludlu at the 2004 Stanbic Jazz Festival. This made her a household jazz singer of note in the country.
With this critical fame, her passion for jazz and her lyrical abilities, the Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) and Barloworld invited her as their main act for the 6th Annual Sports Awards the following year.
In 2010, she started recording her first ever album titled Kajalo, which she finished in 2013.
The album is a 21-track double CD that can make one feel as if they are listening to angelic harmonies and symphony with songs like Break of Dawn, Happy, Selfish and Kajalo.
On stage Brenda sounds and looks stunning – she wears strikingly beautiful outfits that befit the legendary jazz musician she is.
She shared the stage with the ‘big leagues’ such as Sipho Gumede, Vicky Sampson, Abigail Khubeka, Moses Molelekwa, Paul Lunga, Bosman, Sonti Mndebele, Cool Crooners, Dennis Mpale, Mpale and Dludlu. She has mentored Shanti-Lo and Punah to mention a few.
Brenda is currently on contract with the Cresta Lodge performing every Friday and is the sales and marketing consultant for entertainment/performer with Kgalagadi Jazz Beats at the Pavilion Restaurant and Terrace.
On Thursdays she hosts Jazz Centric Poetry Nights where she has created a platform for poets, storytellers and music artists of every genre to showcase their craft.
Sundays still at Pavilion Restaurant and Terrace she hosts mainstream and contemporary jazz nights with Trans-Kalahari Quintet, resident band. Along with the band she continues to serenade many jazz lovers with her velvety musical notes at private functions, weddings, corporate shows and functions.