Master Dee climbs challenge after challenge
Galebolae Ngakane | Wednesday January 27, 2016 15:20
He remembers vividly how he would listen to these musicians while munching magwinya, which sold for one cent each at Sebego’s tuckshop, owned by the father of the present Botswana Football Association president, Tebogo Sebego.
During the 1970s and into the 80’s, songs from those musicians were the order of the day in high-density areas such as Old Naledi, Bontleng, Extension 27 (in Broadhurst), Monarch or Mmanaka and Somerset in Francistown. They vied for airplay with offerings from international musicians like Percy Sledge, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley and the Wailers and so forth on radio and at stonkofela (stokvel) parties.
As a youngster at both primary and secondary schools, Master Dee was so enamoured with these musicians that he vowed to one day record music like them. But he was much more into reggae, which he says had a message.
When he finished Form 5, he applied for exemption from the National Service (Tirelo Sechaba), as he was determined to start a music career.
“There was lot of poverty at home and I needed to find a job as quickly as possible in order to help out,” he says. Master Dee then tried joining the Botswana Defence Force, but was turned down. In 1988, the Botswana police recruited him and he put in motion his plans to become an accomplished musician.
After a year in the service, he wasted no time in starting the Police Band, which today is as good as the BDF band with an assortment of music instruments such as trumpets, drums, percussions and keyboard.
In 1994, the police chiefs, having seen his potential, sent him for further music training in the United Kingdom where he attended a military school, Kneerhall. Upon his return in 1996, the desire to share what he had learned proved just too strong, and he left the police service to start recording artists independently.
I remember very well how it all started. That year and the previous one, I was a publicity officer for Exporters’ Association (EAOB), which is now called Botswana Export and Manufacturing Association (BEMA). The late Eitlhopha Mosinyi founded EAOB with the intention of advocating for diversification of Botswana economy from being heavily dependent on minerals, especially diamonds.
The organisation had an Intellectual Property section whose purpose was to unearth raw talent and package it into exportable commodity. I think this resonated well with Master Dee, who, on arrival from the UK, went straight to meet Mosinyi who was delighted that her idea was about to become reality.
Master Dee sourced musical instruments from UK, which were used to record a number of artists then, among them gospel great Bafana “Phemperetlhe’ Pheto, Acapella group, Black Zebras, kwasa kwasa kingpin Alfred Mosimanegape, Stika Sola, Mpho Loeto (Shanti Lo’s mom) Wizards of the Desert and Batlhoka-Pono.
There was also a traditional pop group called ExCutEdge, formed by three muscle-bound youngsters by the names of Kenneth “Cutrite” Moeng, Pego “Ex” Mosalakatane and Adam “Edge” Kapo.
By the mid-1990s, there were few new releases by local musicians and bands. Afro Sunshine and Kgwanyape Band had in the early 1990s given a taste of the future with their hit albums, This is Africa and Mephato ya Maloba respectively, but soon, the novelty wore off despite the fact that the two albums were so good they still command a big following even today.
There was an uneasy hiatus around 1993 and local music lovers started pining for something new. They turned to foreign music, dominated by South Africans like Brenda Fassie, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, CJB, Cheek to Cheek and so forth at clubs like the resplendent New Yorker in Francistown and swanky Nightshift Club at Broadhurst’s BBS Mall.
For those who loved Acapella music they turned to the likes of Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Rustenburg Boys. Kwasa kwasa lovers were wooed by the likes of Papa Wemba, Kanda Bongoman and others.
In the shebeens and stonkofela parties, Zimbabwean musicians like Leonard Dembo, Devera Ngwenya and others were strong favourites. Master Dee changed all that with a string of debut releases by the above-mentioned local musicians. Soon, the country was dancing to On en On by ExcutEdge, while Mosimanegape, came up with Mafelo a Beke with its catchy beat. Phempheretlhe released Lekunutu ke Morena, which was perhaps his biggest hit ever.
In 2008, “Phemps” told Mmegi that 10 years after its release, the album was still feeding his family as he continued to receive many orders from all corners of the world.
Perhaps that was Chapter 1 for Master Dee, because 10 years later the father of three, who had been recording his own reggae music on the sidelines, including a Kalanga song Ntolo Ntolo, changed tack and formed My Star, a music competition that has been unearthing new talent.
Most of those who won the competition are now attending music school to further learn the craft. Master Dee says it is important as a musician to be able to master instruments.
“I can play guitar, keyboard, and other instruments. I believe you have to give people the real thing, not fake stuff,” he says.
Even if they have not recorded, the fact remains, some of those musicians who featured in the programme, which is aired on Btv, discovered that they had talent. Master Dee blames the situation (lack of marketing of the winners) on poor support from the local media. “They are more interested in foreign artists such that those artists have made Botswana their favourite hunting ground.
Whenever they feel like it, the foreign musicians come to Botswana were they rake in millions of Pula. “Why not support your fellow Motswana so that he/she too can make a living out of his/her craft (music)?” he asks rhetorically, adding that the money that Batswana give to these foreigners should go to local musicians.
Master Dee says if local music was played frequently on radio and promoters put up shows featuring locals more regularly instead of bringing in foreigners whose interest is only to rake in money, the locals would grow. “Batswana love entertainment. If you put up a show of only Batswana musicians, I don’t think you can go wrong because they will come in large numbers and support home grown talent,” he says. Now, perhaps it requires Master Dee to give Chapter 1 a facelift. But he is unable to do so at the moment because finance is the big stumbling block. But one day Master Dee vows he will overcome the challenges. He says being dependent on Btv, where he does all his music activities, means he cannot adequately achieve his aim of unearthing local talent. “It is an assignment I was given by God to unearth talent in this country. But only when I have my own place where we can do everything will I be able to effectively carry out my assignment. “I promise you. One day we shall overcome,” he says.