Veteran jazzman Katumbela to receive Presidential award
Spira Tlhankane | Friday August 25, 2017 15:58
Katumbela is in the list of names released by the permanent secretary to the President Carter Morupisi recently. The seasoned jazz DJ who promotes jazz through his radio programme and Jazz promotion company Street Horn, has contributed so much to the music industry even beyond jazz.
Street Horn is a music promotion company that specialises in entertaining with jazz and classics. The company has managed top Afro jazz artists like Shanti-Lo for a long time.
Besides Streethorn, Katumbela hosts a jazz show on Duma FM on Sunday. In the show he invites artists to the studio to talk about their careers in music.
The show has hosted local artists like Nnunu Ramogotsi, Lister Boleseng and Bra John Selolwane just to mention but a few. In the show, he plays blues, mainstream jazz, fusion and Afro jazz.
Katumbela is also behind Re Batswana Music Ensemble as a producer and founder. Re Batswana Music Ensemble is a group/band that focuses on traditional, folk, afro Jazz and contemporary music of Botswana.
This Ensemble is comprised of best musicians such as Samantha Mogwe, guitarist Banjo Mosele, Kalanga veteran musician Ndingo Johwa, amazing songbird Nnunu Ramogotsi, saxophonist Lister Boleseng, and piano Maestro Lekofi Sejeso. He has guided the group through tours in Europe among other big things.
The tours were aimed at giving the artists international exposure through cultural exchange and celebrating Botswana’s culture.
The award is also an embodiment of his commitment to jazz music promotion after promoting great jazz artists throughout his career.
Looking back, Katumbela was a member of the Francistown Jazz Club and once brought South African jazz combo, Sakhile to Francistown in the early 1990s.
He then relocated to Gaborone in the 1990s where he was credited for establishing a number of popular entertainment joints. The certificate will be presented to Katumbela alongside other recipients on September 30.