Orange bankrolls new Vee album

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Thursday May 7, 2009 00:00

 

The company is hosting a listening session for Vee's latest offering at Bull 'N Bush in Gaborone today.

Vee and Orange seem to have forged a strong relationship. The company last year sponsored Vee's album launch at Chez'Ntemba at an Orange branded event, and later bankrolled the artist on a nationwide tour.Later last year Orange and Vee joined forces and released a Vee branded Alcatel cell phone, the V-Pack, which is still on the market. The cell phone release was accompanied by an exclusive CD, which comes out as a package with the handset.

Vee's latest release was showcased at the Miss Botswana finals last Saturday, with a fabulous video of the track, Mamasita, beaming on big screens at the Miss Botswana show at the GICC.

The video features all the 14 beauty pageant finalists, as well as choreographers who participated in the Miss Botswana finals.However, it remains to be seen whether Vee's popular House-kwasa trademark style still has what it takes to improve the album sales.  Vee yesterday told Showbiz that it is not all kwaito-kwasa in his new album. He went all out to engage South African House music producer, Bujo-Mujo.

Back home, he also roped in Ramco Records producers, Earth, who worked with him in the hit album, Taku-taku a few years ago. He describes the album as a 'mixed bag' featuring the likes of rapper, Presley Metshe of Third Mind, as well as female rapper Michelle, also from Ramco Records. Female borankana group, Morubele, also from the Ramco stables feature in the album, along with male traditional music sensation, Gong Master Ketshabile.

Other producers he worked with in the new album include BK Proctor, whom he worked with in his last album, Setimela. He also worked with a DDS Records producer, known only as Dr Tawanda. He is the same producer who produced Vee's groups, Eskimos, and Captain Dira earlier this year.

'I have attempted to revisit the 70s  Motswako music, just like I did with Motswako. But there is also a bit of 80s Disco, as well as afro-house, house-kwasa, and gospel. I featured my grandmother on a gospel track, where the Morubele group is featured. The album is scheduled for release officially on Friday, a day after the listening session,' says Vee.