The rise of Jojo

After taking her act to Namibia and Lesotho last year, Rejoice 'Jojo' Gaonakala recently performed at Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe's 88th birthday celebrations.

Some will remember her for her lyrically explicit song, Mpatiseng, which raised controversy after an unedited version of the number was played on Botswana Television's (Btv) Flava Dome.

By her own account, hordes of fans ate out of her hands in Lesotho and she became a household name overnight, beating established top artists and giving them a run for their money.

With a voice that has been described by music reviewers as irritating but interesting, Jojo's Mpatiseng album is enjoying airplay both locally and internationally. On every street corner of Gaborone, bars, shebeens and night clubs, the song Mpatiseng seems to drive Batswana crazy.

The eight-track album includes among others the controversial title track Mpatiseng, Xama Sere, Matimpenyana and Khutsanyana.

Jojo is working day and night marketing the album, which is in high demand both locally and regionally.

The Mmadinare-born songbird started singing while she was still a primary school pupil and her luck changed when her talent was discovered by CKGR Recording Stable, which is promoted by Gilbert Promotions.

She has worked with various local artists as a back-up singer and a dancer for artists like Shumba Ratshega and Alfredo Mos just to mention a few. Reports indicate that there have been many comparisons to other singers both locally and internationally.

While she is flattered by this, the humble songbird remains true to her roots and vows to continue producing the unique sound her fans have come to love.

Jojo has already shared the stage with local and regional brands such as Vee, Slizer and Patricia Majalisa. She has already started creating a buzz  that has built up anticipation for her newly released album, which is set to take the traditional music industry by storm.

The title track to the album is a very controversial track as she sings about how she craves for a 'real strong' man in the bedroom. In an interview, Jojo revealed that she is using the song to 'empower' women in relationships.

She urges them to be assertive in life and relationships, especially in sexually related matters.

'The song calls for women to be assertive and articulate their wishes without being limited by cultural issues or beliefs.

For instance I want them to know that in this era it is not wrong for them to tell their male counterparts that they are not good at it or their performance in the bedroom is lacklustre. It should not be only acceptable when it is men who tell their partners that they are not satisfying them sexually,' she explained.

Another song that music lovers will fall in love with is Khutsanyana, which discusses the difficulties and challenges that orphans face in the care of stingy relatives.

She has also worked with some heavyweights in the music industry such as Bullet, who has produced Shumba Ratshega as well as Tumelo, who has worked with Dr Vom of Tsaya Thobane fame.

Jojo just returned from a tour of Namibia where she was invited to perform alongside another local songbird, Slizer, during a cultural music exchange programme. They were selected as ambassadors for the cultural gig between Namibia and Botswana. She is also expected to perform at Zimbabwe's Independence celebrations on April 18, 2012. 

She expects to launch her album on March 30th alongside Zambia's General Ozzy of the Ona Mami hit song.

According to music promoter, Gilbert Seagile, Jojo has been booked to perform again in Lesotho sometime this year. Seagile revealed that just as Slizer has managed to sell her music in Zimbabwe and Namibia, Jojo has also managed not only to penetrate the two markets but the Lesotho market as well where she is in even greater demand. (Sila Press Agency)