Mmegi

Swabi reflects on a 40-year musical legacy

Swabi reflects on a 40-year musical legacy
Swabi reflects on a 40-year musical legacy

In the early 1960s, George Swabi had little more than his voice and a homemade Setinkane. But an impromptu visit to Radio Botswana a decade later would change his life forever. This week, SHARON MATHALA visited the legendary musician at his Palapye home, where the Serowe-born artist reflected on a career that possibly helped shape Botswana’s traditional music landscape

Though old age has crept in, Swabi’s frail appearance is deceptive as his energy remains strikingly youthful; his storytelling is animated by decades of lived experience. When asked whether he is ready to hang up the microphone, he pauses briefly and answers.

“Very soon, actually. I don’t think that by next year, I will still be able to perform. The years have passed, but music is the only thing I know, you know,” he said.

Editor's Comment
Ramogapi & Co should clear the Bonno confusion

According to a report elsewhere in this publication, various district councils announced that a one-bedroom home now costs over P130,000 more, a near-unthinkable 32% increase. This isn't just a minor adjustment, but a devastating blow to the dream of affordable home ownership for ordinary citizens.What is most alarming is not just the scale of the increase, but the profound confusion it has exposed. Minister Ramogapi has publicly...

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