Appreciative SA producer hails Batswana

NELSON DIRENG
Correspondent | Wednesday October 26, 2011 00:00

The mixtape is a follow-up to the first edition of the offering that only featured Zeus and Cab.  The mixtape produced at Third Element Entertainment (Lemonka's entertainment company) did well in both the South Africa and Botswana markets and also went ahead to have one of its singles used as the international movie District 9's soundtrack.  It also featured SA's heavyweight musicians including Hip Hop Pantsula, Khuli Chana, Tuks and Hakeem.

Lemoka's upcoming release is expected to feature more of the artists he featured in the previous Mixtape, but from Botswana new voices that would be heard include Sumber-T, Lex, Touch, Scar and T-Les.  Last week Lemoka was in Botswana for three days where one of his objectives was to meet 17-year-old upcoming motswako artist, Drama Boi, whom he expressed desire to work with.  He was also here to negotiate a deal with one of Botswana's respected video producers, Shike Olsen to shoot a music video for one of the songs in the mixtape.  The song Olsen is expected to document is produced by Draztic and features Zeus, Scar, T-Les, Sumber-T, Lex and Touch.

It started playing on local airwaves late last week.Speaking to Showbiz during his visit, Lemonka said he decided to work with more Batswana artists in his upcoming release because Batswana have always been supportive of him.  He said that Batswana have never at one point doubted his abilities, giving an example of Botswana's export musician to South Africa, Game 'Zeus' Bantsi, whom he said has never once felt 'too big' to work with him (Lemonka).  'I have known Zeus from the time he was striving to break through the South African music scene, but he is still the same person despite having grown into a big artist,' he adding that they have grown to become good friends.

Lemonka said he decided to work with Batswana artists because the Botswana market has shown him support.  He said that Batswana accepted 10111 track by South African motswako artist Mo'lemi that was banned in South Africa for its controversial political statements.  'Apart from that there is a lot of talent in Botswana that people do not realise,' he said adding that most Batswana artists are levelheaded and easy to work with.  Lemonka's 16-track mixtape is expected to be ready next year.  He said that he does not want to rush its release especially since there is still a lot of excitement over several new releases this festive. 

'I want to release the album early next year in preparation for the Easter holidays,' he said.  Meanwhile, Lemonka participated in one of Zeus' I Am shows at the Sir Seretse Khama Junior School during his visit to Botswana last week.  The I Am campaign is aimed at disseminating social responsibility messages targeted at drawing out hidden potentials in school going teens.  Speaking to the teens, Lemonka urged them to follow their dreams if they want to be successful.  A business graduate, Lemonka said that he never followed through his career as his passion was always in music.  Although it was a bumpy road to get where he is Lemonka said he is happy with what he is doing. 

He has been asked to become the station manager for an upcoming community radio station named Kopanong fm in Zeerust.  The radio stations frequency is expected to spill over to Gaborone and beyond.Zeus, however, encouraged interested participants of the I Am programme to SMS I Am to 73727133 in order for them to get updated on the group's latest events.  He emphasised that only teens and not adults respond to the appeal.