Majaivane takes to Gqom with Tika Tika
Spira Tlhankane | Friday February 22, 2019 14:28
With Durban’s Gqom music now spreading across the world, it is perhaps a good move for the local industry seeing that artists like Majaivane are tapping into it.
Majaivane has never travelled to Durban to meet the artists who are taking it forward such as Babes Wodumo and Distruction Boyz, but he surely knows their sound.
Tika Tika is a danceable tune for sure, but he has even made it special by incorporating Setswana lyrics to marinate the wonderful beat with local dialect. Harry Cane produced the song.
Given enough recognition and airplay, Tika Tika can reveal the fast and changing raw Botswana talent. Majaivane told Arts & Culture that his song was inspired by a dance of the same name.
“I like watching soccer and as a singer-songwriter who lives in the township, I also get inspiration from my surroundings,” he said.
Majaivane who has been releasing singles said he had taken to Gqom because it is his calling. “This genre is trending and Batswana are showing appreciation for the music even though it’s from Durban,” he said.
Majaivane said he has already received positive reviews from Batswana and now he is working on the music video.
He said the music video would show the Tika Tika dance. “People should expect magic looking at my background as a dancer,” he added. The man, who was a dancer for Botswana’s most successful musician Vee Mampeezy for eight years, said this time he is optimistic even though things have not gone the way he had wanted in the past.
The House-Kwaito artist whose real name is Thabo Matlhaku has collaborated with Namibian artist John Jay R before and he further told Arts & Culture that he is ready to do more collaboratiOns. “I have tried collaborating with some people before, but it didn’t work out. I am willing to do songs with anyone regardless of genre. Gqom is the kind of music that blends in well with other genres of music,” he highlighted.
When he was a dancer, Majaivane alongside Mshinto, was one of the most energetic performers on stage during the time when Black Money Makers made waves with Exodus and Eskimos. “Mshinto and I worked on a project together and it never took off. I didn’t give up and it is no wonder I still want to show people what Majaivane is capable of,” he said.