Even more stimulating was the way artists, especially young ones, demonstrated good skills in playing such instruments. There was clear passion among both the players and the crowd.The intensity and concentration, coupled with the cheers of saluting the mastery, told a story of how a people's culture can easily turn into their pride and joy.Until recently these treasured instruments were relegated to the historical scrap yard, as interest in them faded among the elderly while very few young people hardly noticed any sound of them.
Traditional musical instruments like setinkane, segaba, traditional shakers, marimba, traditional guitar and African drums are all steadily making a comback and although this latest development cannot be entirely attributed to the President's Day competitions, it is clear this contest has brought some sense of national pride especially among the youth.Visiting Swedish traditional music trainer Goran Premberg recently said after a week-long workshop with Batswana folklore musicians that local traditional musical instruments were very powerful played individually, but that he was convinced that combined, these instruments could form a very good orchestra.Zacharia Mhaladi is one of those who have alway liked the sound of various traditional musical instruments and today he does not only play a host of them, but he also makes them.
