Lala vuka returns
Spira Tlhankane | Wednesday December 20, 2017 16:32
December 24, 25, 26, 31, and January 1 and 2, 2018 will see entertainment floodgates open, as revellers will groove from 6pm to 6am.
The central
Top-notch entertainment is synonymous with the festive season in the Central District since over 10 years ago and the line up this year promises another supreme jamboree.
Night revellers in this district are usually in a dilemma when it comes to choosing which party to go to. The sumptuous line ups that carry a good number of South African artists and local’s best present the usual headache.
The jovial season breaks out on December 22 in Serowe with the annual Pop Bottles or Matshwititshwiti Summer Festival, its new tag line. The five-year-old show was previously held on Christmas Day and it has been moved to avoid conflict with other events in the region.
Pop Bottles is a hip-hop show. South African rapper A-Reece will headline. It carries the best and energetic of local hip hop artists in the likes of Ammo Ski Mask, Bouncie, Frost and Mr Yummy just to mention a few. It has an endless list of hip hop DJs inclusive of Darkboy Massey, Net-O and DJ Bino.
The concert will be hosted by Vivie A, Alpha and BJB. The show’s organiser, James Ratshosa said their merchandise is running out and T-Shirts are sold out. He said with a steadily rising number of ticket sales they are expecting a larger crowd.
“We are expecting a larger turnover this year, ticket sales have hit a high mark and we expect to sell even more as the d-day closes in,” Ratshosa said.
Christmas Eve present Home Coming Concert (HCC) at Matswelo Lodge in Mahalapye, while on the same day all roads in Palapye will lead to Flambo Park for the Clap Your Hands (CYH) fiesta. These two festivals have over the years rivalled for the district night revellers and the rivalry continues as both had carried on the promise with blossom line-ups.
HCC will be celebrating 10 years of being ‘in style’, the chief promoter of the event Bannye ‘Easy B’ Sesupo said. It is the only festival with a resident DJ, DJ Fresh, a veteran Motswana DJ based in South Africa.
The line-up features Bucie, Heavy K, the scintillating drummers Black Motion, Brendan Praise, ATI, Crispin the Drummer and it will be led by the energetic Loungo Pitse.
“It will be on the next level, everything is in place and by far we have the best line up. We are paying back to the people who support us and have been with us since 10 years ago. We outdid ourselves on this one,” Easy B said.
About 74 kilometres down the road from Flambo Park, it will be lit. CYH like its sister concert carries a wagon of top artists.
Prince Kaybee, Lady Zamar, Big Nuz, Sun-El Musician, Dramaboi, Scar, Darkboy Massey and MMP Family will headline it amongst a host of other artists and DJs.
Master Goya Foundation brings a twist of a disco night in Makoro, a few kilometres south of Palapye, along the A1 road.
The festival dubbed Master Goya Foundation Festival carries the finest of disco music in the likes of Splash, Dalom Kids, Matshikos, Peacock, Dan Tshanda and others. It will be held at Makoro Football Grounds on Boxing Day. Nightlife does not end with Christmas. New Year’s Eve carries a continuation of fun. Tswapong Hills will be hosting a two-day Morobosi Festival.
Morobosi is held at Raselwana Farm in Manaledi/Goo Tau. Its line up is inclusive of a mixture of some cultural and contemporary music. It is inclusive of Hyena an artist from as far as Germany. It also has Heavy K in the line-up, ATI, flambouyant Loungo, Charma Girl, LaTimmy, Gyvous and many others.
Sereetsi and the Natives will host, Zimbabwean Oliver Mtukudzi, Zambia’s James Sakala and Lister Boleseng, in the only live music concert of the festive season across the country. The second annual Goodies Festival will wrap it for Palapye on New Year’s Eve at Cresta Palapye Hotel.
The south
The northern part of Botswana is known for hosting the best entertainment events and most revellers migrate there for the festive season to experience the fun.
Not to be left behind this year the southern part is in no short supply of entertainment with reinforced music festival lineups, especially in the South East district. While the city, Gaborone will turn into a ghost town in terms of music gigs, all roads lead to Moshupa on December 24 for the third annual Gaabo Motho Festival.
The festival has been dogged by controversy when owners, Dladleng Entertainment and a disgruntled promoter fought over the rights of the festival logo. However, the dust has now settled and people from the Bakgatla Baga Mmanaana and nearby villages like Thamaga will be meet at Dladleng Recreational Park to welcome Christmas Day. South African artists, DJ Tira, Naak Musiq, Dr Malinga and Sun El Musician of Akanamali fame, will headline the festival. Sun El Musician is trending and his song is regarded as one of the festive songs.
The line-up also includes Metro FM award winner and SAMA nominee, Vee Mampezzy of the lyrically controversial Waaba Tsile song. MMP Family, who recently released, O Tagilwe, will complement Vee Mampeezy. To top it all off, top performers on the day will be dikwaere music giant, Dr Vom who is always there to own the crowd with his Thobane trademark song. La Timmy, Mapetla, Raptured Roots and Sparks Wa Lehipi are some of the artists on the line-up. To connect performances and drive people towards Christmas, the DJs on the deck will be DJ Anthem, DJ Sly, DJ Shaboo, DJ Guybos, DJ Oak, DJ Ngwazi, DJ Crespo, DJ Lex B, DJ Deco, La Puto, DJ Sbere, DJ Otis, DJ Openineyo and Raul Brayn. A single ticket costs P100 in advance and P150 at the gate while VIP tickets cost P250.
It doesn’t end on Christmas, as the fever will go on to reach New Year’s Eve with people welcoming 2018 at the 4th annual Ga Maila Festive Meltdown at Motse Lodge in Kanye. Sun El Muscian is the most sought-after artist and will be at Ga Maila to continue where he left off at Gaabo Motho. Also from South African is none other than Cassper Nyovest’s mentor HHP. The man of the moment ATI will be one of the headline acts as he continues to dominate the scene with his hit song, Khiring khiring khorong khorong. The Serowe man is one of the most booked artists this festive as he is a crowd favourite.
On the lineup are veteran kwasa kwasa artist, Franco to dish out his hits from the last decade and a half. The Ke Lela Le Lona hitmaker will be complemented by Slizer, who was recently involved in a car accident. Vee Mampeezy, traditional giant Ditiro Leero and Dramaboi of Setakile will complete the formidable lineup. Tickets are sold at P150 in advance and P200 at the gate. While these two events are perhaps the biggest festivals down South in terms of lineups, other villages like Molepolole will host Makgasa Music Festival on December 28 and elsewhere other villages will host their individual events.