The 10-track album is the well-travelled act’s fourth studio offering and features an A-list of session musos for the project. Mmabatho is a follow up to the debut Four String Confessions (2015), Motoko (2018) and I Am Afrika (2021), which was released amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. “As a teaser of sorts to the album, which has been two years in the making, we have so far dropped three well-received singles from the album - Petere, Gae featuring Mma Ausi and Romela,” said Sereetsi. Sereetsi explained that through the album, he pauses to appreciate the special woman who has been a rock and a source of strength and inspiration in his life. “I do not have gold and silver but a few chords and my lived truth to show my appreciation. It’s not easy being on this path of a life in music. You are more than blessed when you have a partner who can provide you with support at home and professionally.
This was my small way to thank my wife, Kagelelo, for being an invaluable part of my journey. I can look back after more than nine years of doing this thing professionally and see that I couldn’t have done it without her,” he said. He said this warm sentiment finds beautiful expression in two versions of the same song titled Mmabatho. He stated that one is a stripped-down acoustic guitar-heavy number complete with a choir and the other is an electric full-band rendition that is set to be a hit with the wedding scene. “By extension, the song is for everyone in a serious relationship and for wedded couples as well. It’s a celebration of the beauty, strength and support of the women in our lives,” he said. Sereetsi said taking the cue from the collaboration-heavy, I Am Afrika album, Mmabatho also presents Sereetsi & The Natives at work with other accomplished creatives.
