Mogwana celebrates 20 years with song & dance

Baboki Kayawe
Staff Writer | Monday October 10, 2011 00:00

 

Opening the show with a Phatisi piece dubbed Siki, five young boys wowed the audience with their mouth-watering moves. A wonderful scene for the eyes to feast on, as these young lads showcased the wealth of Tswana culture at such a tender age. Immediately the older boys appeared on stage, followed by the ladies who flowered the pattern with their headbands and short animal skin attire.

The hands clapping technique could tell even the blind that there has been a swift of dance when a Hosana dance piece followed. A well-known song Chevula, saw the stage turn black and white - these are the traditional colours of the Ikalanga dance gear. It was followed by a song about a man whose Mosarwa herd boy lost his goats, asking whether to flog him as punishment. Here the women sing behind the curtain as only about six males danced to the Tsutsube beat. The Basarwa dance characterised by very fast footwork is quite unique; the clapping techniques also produce a very fine rhythm. Quite an array of traditional songs and dances from nine districts of the country were delivered to a very appreciative audience. The categories were Phatisi, Setapa, Tsutube, Healing, Sebirwa, Selete, Mshembiro and Hosana. Some of the major highlights of Mogwana Traditional Song and Dance Group entail participating in the marketing of African Arts Festival (MASA) in C™te d'Ivoire in 2003, as well as taking part at the Caribana Festival and a week-long performance in Toronto, Canada in 2004.

The group made a first for local traditional groups, when it appeared in the first local drama series, Re Bina Mmogo that aired on Btv in 2005. Mogwana also features in the much-celebrated movie adaptation, No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. The group has had a massive influence and contribution towards the development of traditional song and music as excelling groups like Dikakapa, Mophato Dance Theatre and many others began their careers at Mogwana.