Sereetsi and the Natives to tour SA
Maureen Odubeng | Wednesday July 27, 2016 11:36
Sereetsi and the Natives fans in South Africa (SA) will have an opportunity to see them in action, as the band is gearing up to tour the neighbouring country from August 12 to September 6, 2016.
The group, which realised immediate success upon entering the scene, will stage performances in a number of areas, which will include Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Mafikeng, and Pietermaritzburg.
“This is part of our greater plan to grow our footprint internationally. We have just returned from an outing with Namibian world music star, Elemotho, on July 9th 2016 at Windhoek’s Warehouse Theatre. The tour is a continuation of efforts to share the Natives rhythms with the rest of the world,” Sereetsi and the Natives front man, Tomeletso Sereetsi said.
Fans in SA will see performances by Sereetsi who will be playing the four string guitar, as well as lead vocals, United States born Terry Lewis on alto saxophone, Leroy Nyoni on drum/vocals, and Kabelo Tamukate on bass.
“We are going to play over 12 shows in South Africa. We want to make the tour an annual one, which will include other countries going forward,” Sereetsi said.
The tour will kick-start in Johannesburg on August 12 at Afrikan Freedom Station, and move to Newtown Junction on August 13, still in Johannesburg. On Sunday August 14 Sereetsi and the Natives will perform at Railways Café in Pretoria.
The band will return to Johannesburg on August 19 for a performance at Winnie’s Jazz Restaurant, The Good Luck Bar on August 20, and Amuse Café on August 21. Other show dates are as follows; The Stalls in Pretoria, August 25, Mmabatho Palms in Mahikeng on August 26, and UKZN Centre For Jazz in Durban.
Sereetsi said the tour is currently an entirely self-funded effort.
“We would like any support we can get, be it inviting your South African friends to check us out at a venue near them or spreading the word on social media. We welcome support from the private sector to help us with the costs of the tour,” he said.
Sereetsi and the Natives have previously played at three big festivals in SA namely; The Calabash in Durban, Mahika Mahikeng Jazz Fest in Mafikeng and the Kgalagadi Jazz Festival in Kuruman.
Sereetsi is a singer/songwriter who is also the author of the groundbreaking instructional book/CD, The Solo Four String Guitar of Botswana.
The act is one of the most popular in Botswana with a number of hits from its critically acclaimed 2015 debut, Four String Confessions, such as Robete, Thaa Kokome and Robete on regular rotation on radio. Its sound combines Botswana rhythms and verse with influences such as jazz and folk rock.