Meet Mhaladi, the indigenous instrument maker

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Upon entering his studio the first thing that meets the eye is the piles of wood cut in shapes and put in layers side-by-side. Alongside the wood are percussion instruments just lying around and some up in frames on the wall.

This is the place where Zachariah Mhaladi of Mozeco's Music Instrument Manufacturers does his magic with his hands.  Outside his studio that is located at Thapong Visual Arts Centre, Gaborone is a mix of the equipment and material that he uses to do his work.

At 35 years, Mhaladi is doing what you usually expect to be done by experienced older men around the age of 60 and above.  Mhaladi is a manufacturer of indigenous instruments that are mainly used by folklore artists.  These instruments include segaba, setinkane, marimba, drums, timbila and traditional attire, amongst others.

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