Kgosikgolo The Musical Lives To Its Billing

Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday August 28, 2017 16:34

 

The troupe of talented and energetic youth successfully kept their audience with beautiful, well-composed and directed musical. The musical story line is based on the ups and downs of traditional rule of Bogosi. It’s a narration of deceit, plots, hatred, reconciliations and victories experienced by most of royal families. Kgosikgolo kick started with music and dance. It starts with praise singing to the paramount chief, explaining the importance and respect accorded him by the tribe. The song also states that chieftaincy is a birthright.

As the song dies off, a woman sweeping her yard emerges. Her friend and neighbour later joins in, praising her for always keeping her yard clean. The two, Mma Gaone and Mma Pinky talked of how their children were lazy and did not want to help with house chores. They explained that children born in this generation were cut from a different cloth as they had no or little respect for the elders.

Soon, the two turn to gossip about the drama that was happening in their village such as the divorce in the royal family. They narrate the previous events that happened in the royal family, talking of their late chief, Kgosi Tsogang, whom they hail as the most respected man who had a significant role in his village and beyond.

Dressed in black, which signifies grief, the choir sang sad songs occasionally sang at funerals such as Leso o setlhogo and Chelane e wele before another narrator speaks of how evil death was. She says death fears no one as it took such a caring, loving and man of visionary who was a remarkable person in his society.

Then the widow, a queen who cried painfully for her loss, emerges. She does not seize cursing death for stealing her husband at a tender age. Just as she mourns her husband, the queen’s sister, Paseka tells her how she saw the deceased’s brother sitting in the throne and talking of how he would succeed his late brother. Traditionally, when a chief dies, his son has to succeed him, unless the son is too young where the family can decides on the regent.

Despite the queen not believing her sister, all her claims came to pass after the her brother-in-law and his wife come with their uncle to claim the throne. After stealing the throne from his late brother’s son, Kgosi Ditshupo’s chieftaincy is riddled with problems. Famine hits the community. Traditional healers are consulted and they tell the royal family that the drought was caused by ancestors, as they are not happy.

They ask the family to reconcile. The first queen’s brother who acted as the mediator asked the two families to let Ditshupo to continue holding fort for his young nephew, the both sides of the family agree. Then the heavens open and heavy rain pours, leading to a prosperous year. But the power hungry and conniving Kgosi Ditshupo and his wife do not stop plotting. He tries to set up his late brother’s son, asking him to lead the regiment that went to hunt a wild animal that was perishing the livestock. The boy succeeds in his mission.

The couple then came up with another plan, saying the young man cannot ascend the throne, as he was not married. The chief in waiting gets married and was later crowned the Kgosikgolo and succeeded his father. The musical ends with the villagers rejoicing the inauguration of their young chief.