Culture Spears rejuvenates with new dancers

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Thursday March 18, 2010 00:00

 

Like  the Red Bull advertisement,  the youthful Malebogo has been brought in to give  the super group wings as they  aim to cement  themselves as  one of  Africa's best music acts.

Malebogo, along with another new dancer Tumelo Lesole, who, at 21, also looks much younger than she is. She is not just talented but is also an experienced dancer  who has been with the Molepolole outfit Dipela Tsa Ga Kobokwe, for four years.

While Malebogo has already performed in two shows with Culture Spears,  Tumelo  is preparing to make her debut with the hit group tomorrow when it performs in Jwaneng.

'I'm so over the moon to have been able to sign with Culture Spears,' Tumelo tells Showbiz.

Culture Spears needed a fresh look after the departure of Jelina Mokgwatlheng on account of health challenges last year. They have also lost yet another dancer in Lydia Oile who is on maternity leave.  The situation would have left the group with Magdalene Lesolebe as the only female dancer in the band.

That is when the petite Malebogo Sephiwe of Mahalapye and Tumelo danced their way into Culture Spears.Culture Spears' frontman Kabelo Mogwe says the group will also benefit from the two young girls' creative talent in song composition and new dance moves.

Indeed, both girls appear talented and experienced beyond their years. Malebogo, for one, says she sang and danced for Madiba Senior Secondary School traditional Dance Troupe. But she added that she has been  a dancer since she was doing Standard VI.

From that  very young age the  dancer has performed at weddings, as a member of the  Mahalapye  community traditional dance  group called Phate  Ya Setso.   She  was still with Phate Ya Setso when they came second  at the inaugural  Heritage Month  national finals in 2008.

Her  remarkable dance talent saw her  joining  the well-established Ditholwana Cultural Troupe last year, where the likes of Culture Spears' lead vocalist, Mogwe, also honed their skills.

Malebogo says her homeboy Arnold, an accomplished traditional dancer who first made a name for himself with Ditholwana, recommended her to Culture Spears.

Her dream was realised when one of the group leaders and dancers, Magdalene phoned her last month and informed her she had been given the job. According to Malebogo, the auditions were  hectic as a group of 30 dancers  had responded.