Young Setswana poet to drop a poetry album

KEABETSWE NEWEL
Correspondent | Tuesday November 9, 2010 00:00

 

The melodious sound of words coming from Manuel's mouth flows like a symphony into one's ears.  Listening to him utter the professionally fabricating Setswana words calmly that flow like stream water would make one appreciate the beauty of Setswana poetry.

Manuel, a young poet who masters his way around Setswana words, would over awe the beholder even more with his traditional wear, grabbing with his left hand a cow horn that time and again would be used to point to this and that, placating even the enraged person.

The 26-year-old youth reveals that not until his performance at a cultural night in 2007 did he realise that he had much talent.  'I was born to be a poet, although I never realised it until the age 23.  I am now one of the best young poets in Francistown and the country at large,' Manuel said.

The gifted Manuel said that he is not only a poet as his talent encompasses  the entire performing arts.  According to him, he is also involved in acting (drama) and painting.

'I am the definition of the word artist, anything that falls within the branches of art also falls within my profession.  It is in my blood.  It pays my bills and puts food on the table,' he said.  Manuel said that he gets lots of invitations to perform at various events for a fee.

'I have been invited to perform before top officials, the likes of Francistown mayor; I even once dropped poetry for the President sometime last year in Monarch. He was so impressed that he urged me to keep it up,' Manuel recalled. For the young Manuel, Setswana poetry is the way to go, saying that he is vexed by the way Setswana poetry is being flashed down the drain.  'I am the master of Setswana language, I ventured into this Setswana poetry to flaunt my capabilities and also to remind Batswana that their language is one of the most enjoyable languages worldwide,' he commented.

The talented young artist said that his mother, Enita Manuel, who supports his talents, inspired him.  He said poets like Moreri Moroka also gave him inspiration. Radio Botswana programme, Dipina Le Maboko, according to the young poet, is also one of the things that keep him going.  'Poetry is one of the tools that we can use to showcase our culture by expressing ourselves, we see very talented young poets who rather elect the foreign way of poetry known as 'hip-hop', if they could do that in Setswana it would be a way of uplifting our language and making more people appreciate it,' Manuel said. Manuel complained that even the nation does not value Setswana poetry as much as they do to English poetry. 

Manuel was, however, positive that his poetry will penetrate the people's minds and draw them back to the affinity of Setswana poetry as did the Batswana predecessors.

'Every time I leave the stage after a performance many people approach me with invitations to perform at their various events,' he said.  Manuel said that he is currently working on a poetry album in which he has completed four out of six poems.  He said the album would be dropped some time next year.  'It is going to be a very hot poetry album.  There will be instrumentals playing in the background while I spit my mellifluous words of poetry,' promised Manuel.

He said the album would talk mostly of the Setswana life, the problems faced in Botswana and also some entertaining and hilarious features.  Manuel said that it is very important to honour the Setswana language and urged all young artists out there who are talented to flaunt what they know to the world.

He said that people believe that there are no young people who have talents in the use of Setswana, saying that he is a living example of talented young poets. 'I am the master of Setswana language,' Manuel concluded.