Graceful Kemo wins Setinkane battle

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Friday July 23, 2010 00:00

 

Dressed in a long tight dress that also revealed her femininity, the setinkane player also showcased some graceful movements as she danced to her tunes with remarkable energy and skill.

Kemo took to the stage with the blatant arrogance radiating all over her body,  and let loose her tongue as she narrated how she comes a long way with the art of playing the setinkane.

Pride.  Oh, how she loves her musical instrument, how it makes her lose herself and fall into dreamland even in the midst of a 500 strong audience at the Maitisong theatre, and the blinding lights she has never seen before even where she grew up out in the rural Letlhakeng village.

The vocally gifted player opened her presentation with a high confidence level some of her male counterparts failed to show. A little bit about herself, where she comes from, and how she acquired the playing skills from her parents when she was still breast-feeding. And she told her audience she plays it also to heal her soul, as she burst into a song and started gliding on stage to the amazement of many.

Her vocal delivery was equally strong as well, as she sang about a donkey with a gashed back.

Earlier on an Etsha 6 man, Nyero Kambathe had set the tone with his delightful delivery appreciating old age pensions.  Last year's runner up, Moviri Motero yet again presented his rumba composition, although this time, he found the competition rather stiff, as Xare Qoma of D'kar was the judges' favourite for the no.2 spot.

Xoma meant business as he appeared in his traditional sarwa regalia, with a bag fitted with hunting bows and arrows hanging on his shoulder, while he  wrapped himself in the loin skin.

Mokgweetsi Kabomo of Gaborone also threatened to walk away with  the title as he sang about  flirting, leaving the theatre hall in stitches.

Last year's winner, Lukase Tapane of Malatswai  did not appear on the evening as she was said to have flown to China with the  BEDIA  delegation.

Meanwhile Kanye man, Sight Mongweotsile retained his  segaba title, ahead of  the impressive  Dikakanyo Phuduhudu, who  was so well appreciated by the audience after his rendition.

However,  the eventual winner had something special that Phuduhudu didn't have; the singing talent. While diphuduhudu let his segaba  do the singing, Mongweotsile  also demonstrated the talent of traditional song composition and singing.

Widely travelled Moloki Matlho provided drama on stage when he used his two toddlers as part of his presentation.  The babies entered the stage carrying the musical instrument for the  player.

Just when the audience was wondering what role the babies were going to play in the presentation, Matlho sent them away to their mother in dramatic fashion.

 Of course he would later call them to come and take the jacket to their mother. Was he showing  us the beauty of  having a family perhaps?

The drama was not over, as Matlho seemed to impress the audience with his unique presentation whereby he made the segaba talk back to him as he held conversation with the music instrument. 

He would then continue to deliver a somewhat love song with irony, as he sang about a lovely woman he has fallen in love with.  He would describe in detail the beauty of the woman, only to tell us at the end that the problem with her is that, she is a prostitute!

 Not everything was perfect about the setinkane category though, as the likes of Beka Peolwane of Mochudi and Tshekiso Mogaotsane of Malatswai were booed off the stage by the audience.