Sereetsi reflects on 2019

Spira Tlhankane | Friday January 10, 2020 13:41

In an interview this week, Tomeletso Sereetsi thanked their fans for ensuring that Sereetsi & The Natives grows in leaps and bounds as an entertainment and cultural brand with crossover appeal at home and internationally.

“Thanks to my ardent supporters - the natives. The act continued to be the go-to band for event managers with a taste for high quality refined live music production,” he gratefully told Arts & Culture.

Sereetsi looked back at 2019 as the year Sereetsi & The Natives played at a number of internationally recognised festivals like Bushfire Festival (Kingdom of eSwatini) and the Vic Falls Carnival (Zimbabwe).

He said this was in addition to a mini-tour of Sweden, Kenya and Hungary. Sereetsi also reflected to how he got into television - producing a live music show namely Meet The Band that will commence airing in this year on Now TV.

 “At the close of 2019, we recorded a live DVD in front of a capacity audience of natives at Maitisong. That we filled up the iconic theatre, spoke to our unwavering and enduring relevance as a cultural force that resonates with the people - the natives,” he recalled.

Sereetsi also started presenting and producing The Jazz Shed With Sereetsi on Gabz FM - a show that celebrates jazz, world music and blues with a deliberate emphasis on pushing the BW product of the said genres.

The band front man was however quick to reveal that 2020 will be an exciting year for Sereetsi & The Natives because April will mark their fifth anniversary as a fulltime professional recording artist.

“My debut album, Four String Confessions, came out on that month five years ago. It is a very important milestone and a national tour will finally happen this year to celebrate the growth of the Sereetsi & The Natives brand,” he highlighted.

Sereetsi also told Arts & Culture that he is looking forward to travelling the world more and more this year spreading the native gospel of native rhythms and grooves.

Already in Botswana, Sereetsi & The Natives is booked to do two of the biggest live music festivals in the country being Hamptons Jazz Fest and the GIMC Jazz Fest.

 “It is going to be a great year. And I am working on exciting new music. It’s going to be another great year - provided I keep on working hard and praying harder!” he concluded.