Lister shoots live DVD

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Monday October 25, 2010 00:00

 

The Afro jazz artist says he would be shooting a video of the album so that he can move on to his next project. 

'I will be shooting the video because I want to move to the next stage.  I want to move away from Life's A Journey,' he says. 

The DVD will include tracks from the second album that he is working on.  The second album is expected to be released next year. 

Lister prefers to shoot his DVD live because it would be time-consuming if he were to shoot each track in different locations.  He also feels that a live DVD carries more weight. 

Lister reveals that he is planning to release his second album next year, but he is not definite about the date.  'I don't want to rush it,' says the man who took local music by storm with his debut album, Life's A Journey. 

Life's A Journey was released in 2007 and became one of the most successful local Afro jazz albums.  The album even managed to scoop music awards for Lister.  

Lister says he has invited other local artists to perform at the Sunday show such as Eugene Jackson, Kearoma Rantao and Stampore.   Eugene is proving that he is an established artist on his own.  He is no longer moving in the shadow of his more illustrious father, Clement Jackson.  The young Jackson recently at the Botswanacraft Court Yard when he shared the stage with the South African legend, Ringo Madlingozi.  Lister also will feature surprise guests in his performance.  But prefers to keep the names under wraps for now.  Lister will be backed by his group, Medupe.  Lister, who takes his music seriously, says plans are at an advanced stage for the Sunday show.  'I have been rehearsing for the shows,' he assures this writer. Lister, who is also a member of the Botswana Defence Force (BDF) groups, has been in the music industry for quite some time.  He cut his teeth in music at BDF, where he has played for a number of their groups. 

But civilian musicians initiated him into Afro jazz.  Lister still recalls how three musicians approached him in early '80s, who were looking for a sax player.  The trio were Rampholo Molefhe, Clement Jackson and Masilonyana Radinoga.  Boleseng, who was still a greenhorn, did not hesitate to join their group, Badiri. 

This was at a time when Gaborone was the melting pot of the cultural renaissance. There was a heavy presence of the South African community. South African Afro jazz luminaries like Jonas Gwangwa, Hugh Masekela and Dennis Mpale were residing in Gaborone.  Masekela used to stage songs at the Woodpecker outside Gaborone.  This was where he recorded his Technobush album in a mobile studio.  Another South African jazz artist who was based in Botswana was Steve Dyer who used to live in places like Bontleng.  Dyer has composed a song dedicated to the 'beautiful' Gaborone township. 

Lister recalls that they were joined in their group by University of Botswana (UB) students who are also South Africans.  Another muso, who was playing with the group was Leero Gaseitsiwe, who has since quit music.  Lister recalls that it was during those times that he became initiated into Afro jazz.  But since then he has not looked back and some decades later has become one of the local music giants.  However, Badiri was disbanded as the South African army intensified their raids in the country.  The exile community left the country to seek refuge in other places that were safer.But after the South Africans had left, local groups also emerged.   One of the groups that Lister joined was Just Friends, a jazz ensemble.  Another group that Lister played for was Abraxas, which included the likes of guitarist Zakes Gwaze. He has worked on a number of music projects with Abraxas.  He also composed some of the songs in his first album when he was with the group.  Lister also went to the studio with Abraxas. 

Besides Abraxas, Lister has backed a lot of local artists, including Ndingo Johwa as a sax player.   He was also involved in the recording of three of Johwa's albums. 

Unheard of for local artists praising one another, Lister speaks highly of Johwa's first album, Pondonyama.  In his opinion, this is one of the best local Afro pop/jazz albums ever.

Lister was also on the line up of Dikakapa when they recorded Moka album. He also backed Frank Lesokwane aka Franco when he was recording his hit song, Matshediso. 

Other artists he has backed include songbird, Punah Gabasiane.  Punah has also backed Boleseng in some of his projects. As for international acts, Lister has backed South African artists like Sibongile Khumalo and Dyer.  Dyer enjoys blowing a storm with Lister.

He has also backed South Africa's old lady of song, Dorothy Masuku, while Zimbabwean guru Oliver Mtukudzi once invited him on the stage to exhibit his magic.Lister does not talk about plans to quit the army to embark on music full-time.  But he feels that it is long overdue.