Otherwise, music is just as good a recreational activity as playing soccer (which I also played at the level of captain of a Super League side) or playing war games at the Botswana Defence Force (BDF).
l Having already played actively with some of the most accomplished musicians of southern Africa in Jonas Gwangwa, Dennis Mpale, Barney Rachabane, Duke Makasi, Bheki Maseleku, Tony Cedras, Lefifi Tladi, Joy, Khaya Mahlangu, John Selolwane and Fana Zulu, I should use that experience to make a personal statement on record and in books. That way, I would have made a statement on behalf of my generation of musicians, among them Bonjo Keipidile, Whyte Kgopo, Livingstone 'Dollar' Paledi, Thsolo Giddie, Ricky Molefe, Chryser Lefatshe and others who died before they could record their music; and
l To validate my journalistic commentary on the arts. I write what I know, to borrow a phrase from Steve Biko. (He said: "I write what I like").
I have to be thankful to Boi Bagwasi and Botshabelo Bagwasi for giving Impromptu and I the opportunity to train our fingers and ears at Buyani for all the time that they were there. They treated us with love and dignity. Buyani also linked us to the larger community where we could get better paying work. That is all that we could have achieved at Buyani. If I did not cultivate originality in my music by marketing it to an empathetic audience before exposing it to the larger society, then I would have failed in regard to the second reason I gave for being at Buyani. There is no point in taking one step forward and two steps backward to a level below what I had already achieved at Shakawe, Kgalagadi, Dashiki and Batsomi.
Further, if I did not use my experience at Buyani to prepare for a recording of my music, then I would have done nothing to advance Whyte's and Tsholo's work.
Since my aim was to open a dialogue with the youth, I would have failed in my civic responsibility if all that I did was to call youngsters to the bar to drink and watch me make a fool of myself whilst trying to play borrowed music from America or some other strange place.
There are places and occasions where the youth can be found or called. The youth can be rallied around June 16 or the Day of the African Child. They can also be rallied around Human Rights Day and World AIDs Day.
They should be encouraged to gather around National Environment Day. President's Day is another occasion on which the youth can be mobilised around the issues that they find important.
The artists must help to mobilise the nation against the commercialised versions of 'Fathers Day' and 'Mothers Day' and transform them into 'Family Day' in recognition of the right of the children to be included.
Looking back: I have achieved - only partially at that - only the third goal for which I went back to music performance - validating my music commentary. The rest of my goals are fading into the past whilst the end of my years is drawing perilously close.
I do not want to die like a fool...with nothing but sentimental reminiscences by my age mates about how great I was at the piano and the pen. I want to leave evidence of it for the youth and anybody else who might care.
So, I aim to direct my musical activities away from the bars and towards cultural activities. Weddings and birthdays are good because they involve children.
Otherwise, I am now hell bent on helping Ski and my musical friends to complete the recording I started last year. I must make five records before I turn 60.
I should also spend more time at the computer typing proposals for cultural activities. I can't do that on a heavy Monday morning babalase every weekend!
