Eskimos comes out of oblivion
Spira Tlhankane | Friday June 19, 2020 15:29
The 2020 single comes five years after 2015’s, Glory, which was the group’s sixth album along side Back To Kasi, Faratlhatlha, Makimo, Still Makimo and O Mpimpile.
Kwalata Tsa Katara is the first single from the group’s upcoming studio release. Eskimos, which was formed in 1999 as a dance group, comprises Kagiso ‘Skejo’ Ketswantwa, Kabo ‘Zynne’ Mmolawa, Goitsemodimo ‘Javas’ Binang and Keitshupile ‘Mandla’ Mokwena. The quartet has managed to keep its original sound in the new single.
Mokwena told Arts & Culture that this year marks 21 years in the industry, celebrating two decades of ‘rocking’ together.
He said Kwalata Tsa Katara means the bosses of the industry and that they are still going to stun fans for years to come.
“It was inspired by our togetherness and the fact that we managed to achieve a lot of things together. We have remained compact for so long even though there are misunderstandings in every organisation,” he said.
He added that the secret behind their unshaken relationship is loyalty and respect. “We knew what we really wanted and as we grew we knew that we wanted to be a group so, no individual brilliance,” he said. Mokwena added that Kwalata Tsa Katara is going to feature in their studio album scheduled for release later this year.
Since music has evolved over the years since their previous releases, Mokwena said the sound is still current, but is mixed with rhythms from way back taking from genres like disco.
“We have been doing good music and it does not matter whether it is guitar, we played around with a lot of aspects.
When you listen to Kwalata Tsa Katara you will realise that it has that Eskimos originality in it and that’s what makes our sound special,” he highlighted.
He thanked their fans and media for the support they had given Eskimos for 21 years. “We are planning to do a music tour and celebrate these 21 years,” he said.
Although for the younger generation often referred to as ‘Ma2000’, who may have never seen Eskimos in their prime, Kwalata Tsa Katara is the track to make the introduction to the group, which has a new reason to dust the history music shelves and trace back their more than two decades journey. Although one may compare them with hot and active kwaito trio, MMP Family, Eskimos has managed to strike out the similarity in Kwalata Tsa Katara.
While it is different from the work they did on the hit song Cecilia in 2015, the new track shows evolution from the Mpulele days to now.
Speaking of Mpulele, one would have otherwise thought that Kwalata Tsa Katara would take the kwaito-kwasa route, but since an album is coming, there is always a possibility.
Having released albums under Vee Mampeezy’s Black Money Makers and Eric Ramco Records in the past, Eskimos has shown their adaptable traits with hits after hits under different record labels.
The Ke Go Senka O Seyo hitmakers have over the years managed to evolve as established businessmen too, something that other musicians rarely achieve while in their prime.