Ntombo debuts with Ke Jele Lekgela
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Thursday November 24, 2016 16:29
A Home Economics teacher by profession, Ntombo said that his album unveils different traditions and dances along with the cultural heritage that exists in Botswana.
“I am a teacher who is interested in learning different lifestyles and customs in our society so that I can easily adapt to the enviroment,” he said.
He added that he decided to sing in iKalanga, Sesarwa and Setswana so that his album could attract more fans of different ethnic groups. The first track titled Morabaraba is self-explanatory as it talks of the traditional game and how it keeps people entertained.
Qxangwa is the second melody in the album, which is a Sesarwa word for ‘the god’.
The chorus, Nakeree Ke Tseree Xha, means ‘I am begging for children’. He indicated that the track is about barren a woman who is asking for children from the Almighty’.
The title track Ke Jele Lekgela talks about people in the society who often take advantage of their positions as superiors and abuse children.
Ntombo, which is an introductory song, follows the title track. Other tracks in the album include Tsheehng, Makanangwane, Kgang tsa Motse O and Le Tshegang.
When giving his background in traditional music Ntombo said that his passion for traditional dance and music started at primary school when he was doing Standard Four.
He said that he grew up with the zeal for traditional music, which led to him joining a traditional group called Phuduhudu in 2009 while he was at Tonota College of Education. He added that the group participated in the Presidential Competitions in 2010 and they got position three at the nationals under the category of Best Traditional Group.
Ntombo further said that after their victory the group was destroyed and the remaining members formed Tau Tsa Setso, which he is a loyal member of.
“Early this year, I grouped all my former students that I used to coach under traditional dance to form a traditional group in Dukwi and named it Dukwi Cultural Troupe so that I can transfer my skills to them. The group is currently doing well and it managed to win the Nata-Gweta constituency competitions,” he said.
He expressed great gratitude to his friends Stone (Poo Ya Pina) for helping him with some of the lyrics and recording of his debut album.
He said the album was recorded at Sweet Melodies Sound Studio and was engineered by Tsepo in Gaborone.