Sereetsi & The Natives heads out to the Delta
Staff Writer | Friday August 9, 2019 15:06
Sereetsi & The Natives will play alongside multi-platinum selling South African band, Watershed, Bongeziwe Mabandla, Evicted, Josh Kempen, So Kindly, The Mackay.z, Masa Caroleen, locals - Goddy & 100% Africa Dance, Zimbabwe’s Flying Bantu, Djembe Monks, Shanti Lo and Mpho Sebina.
The festival also features DJs such as DJ Chopa, DJ Antic, Tommy Gun, Richard Marshall, Dan Tempo and Bruno Morphet.
“We are really excited to be playing this wonderful multi-genre festival,” the band’s frontman, Tomeletso Sereetsi told Arts & Culture. “We had absolute fun playing at another camping festival in Bushfire so we can’t wait to play the Okavango Delta Music Festival because it is set in one of the biggest wonders of the world. It will certainly be an experience of a lifetime.” The Okavango Delta Music Festival takes place on a beautiful ancient island surrounded by floodplains.
It is situated near Tsutsubega, and proceeds from the festival will go towards helping in alleviating poverty within this community through employment, providing permanent drinking water and various initiatives aimed at training residents in various skills.
A special feature of the festival is that it will have an amazing kiddies camp. The Maker Space, specially put together for kids, has circus acts with fire dancing, stilt-walkers, and amazing costumes.
It will also feature a kids cinema and a kids glow in the dark dance room. “We haven’t played at such a family friendly festival in a long time. This will certainly be a breath of fresh air,” added Sereetsi.
He said all the natives out there should get their tickets before it was too late.
Sereetsi said festivals like this one have to be supported by all as they create opportunities for communities, local businesses and the artist community. “It is great when eventing at this magnificent scale because it reaches communities that are said to be remote and rural. We are proud to be part of this experience,” he said.
The festival is one of a kind in Botswana and promises three days of live performances from local and international bands, delicious food, eco-art installations and theme camps.
Revellers will be able to set up camp in the most beautiful scenery for blissful fun. “Where people and wildlife co-exist, reconnect with a wild place again and enjoy fabulous music in stunning surroundings,” the organisers of the event wrote on their website, info@okmusicfestival.com, where tickets can also be bought.
Sereetsi promises festival goers that the folklore band will bring its A-game to the three-day extravaganza. “It’s going down! We are bringing native fire to the delta! You don’t want to miss out. Trust me,” said Sereetsi.
Sereetsi & The Natives is a refreshing unique voice in the World Music arena.
The act’s strong songwriting and performance in its debut album, Four String Confessions (April 2015) and its sophomore studio offering, Motoko (April 2018), present a fearless sound that blends traditional Botswana rhythms with Western influences, all built around the signature sound and unique tradition of the Tswana four-string folk guitar.
Recently, the act brought the house down at the internationally acclaimed Bushfire Festival in eSwatini (May 24) with a riveting stage performance before heading out to Europe to play the Whitsun Heritage Festival in Hungary (June 9).
During the same month, Sereetsi & The Natives thrilled audiences in Nairobi, Kenya playing the Artistic Encounters Series at the Goethe-Institut on June 26 and the popular Thursday Nite Live at J’s Westlands on June 27. Some of the act’s international performances to date include a stopover in Chicago, USA, dates in Stockholm, Sweden and a showing at Planetta World Music Festival in Gothenburg, Sweden (2016).
Sereetsi & The Natives has also starred at Ake Arts & Book Festival, Lagos, Nigeria (2018), Sesolo Festival in Mozambique (2018) and in South Africa; the Moshito Street Festival (2018), Mahika Mahikeng Jazz Festival (2018, 2016 and 2015), Kgalagadi Jazz Festival (2016 and 2017) and the Cultural Calabash Fest (2015).