Stika Sola Molefhi bounces back with Ko Morakaneng

CHIPPA LEGODIMO
Correspondent | Wednesday March 24, 2010 00:00

 

A celebrity of his era, Stika Sola Molefhi was an inspiration to many, hence many young people adopted the name Stika. He has won awards both here and abroad for his good work in traditional music.

He was hot property in 1998, winning both the best Traditional Music Award at the now defunct Botswana Music Awards under promoter Chase Mhango and South Africa Music Awards under the same category. But apart from the statues, by his own admission the 51-year-old has nothing to show for  his achievements in music.  His debut album released in 1998 entitled Khubama was by far the biggest number on the local market, making an instant appeal across generations with the hit number 'Stika Sola ba duma duma ka ene'. The follow up albums also did well, but the musician continued to struggle financially. The last time the Maun musician released an album was in 2006 naming it Khokhoi, which earned him a Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) award for Traditional Album and, according to him, it made good money that unfortunately fell into the wrong hands. 

The frustrations of this crooked industry condemned him to music oblivion but music being his passion there was no way he could completely forget about it. His long break came to an end with the release recently of his new album Ko Morakaneng. 

'I could not keep on making money for other people. I would rather stay away than let people exploit me and get rich while I struggle to make ends meet. I should be living a good life, but unfortunately for me I worked with the wrong people whose priority was lining their own pockets,' he charged.

Once bitten twice shy and Molefhi is not taking any chances anymore and has decided to be fully in charge of Ko Morakeng even if it means slow marketing due to lack of resources.

'I have not been able to spread my new album throughout the country because I am doing everything. It is better this way because I get what I work for. I have distributed it in Maun, Shakawe and Serowe, but I will be reaching other areas soon.  I do not want to involve the so-called promoters,' he said. He noted that he also cut himself from live shows for fear of being promised 'heaven on earth'.

He told Showbiz: 'Promoters cannot afford musicians like me because we play live with instruments and for that we demand more money and because they do not want to part with money they prefer to use those musicians who play with CDs. But some would not be honest to say 'I need you, but I have no money'.  They make you believe they will pay you, but vanish into thin air after the show,' he said.