Music of Botswana
Botswana is an African country made up of different ethnic groups, although Batswana are the majority of the population. Music is a large part of Botswana culture, and includes popular and folk forms. Botswana church choirs are common nationwide.
Beginning in the 19th century, Immigrants from the United Kingdom began arriving in large numbers and they called the colony Bechuanaland.[1]
History
[edit]Traditional music of the Batswana and other peoples in the region was often performed daily prior to colonisation. This included both songs and religious chants. The norms introduced by the colonial government and the European missionaries largely ended such practices.[2]
As Botswana's education system grew in the 1950s, choir was widely taught. It grew to be a popular type of music as competitive choir singing became common. The Brown Kalanga Wizards were the first recording group in present-day Botswana, forming in the 1950s and producing two albums. National radio broadcasts began in the 1960s, with choir and folk singing appearing as the most common genres.[3] The Botswana Telecommunications Authority started issuing radio broadcasting licenses in 1998. Yarona FM and Gabz FM began broadcasting in 1999.[4] South African jazz, kwaito, and hip hop emerged as major genres at this time, and hip hop became the country's most popular music genre by 2003.[3]
Traditional music
[edit]Historically, music of the peoples in present-day Botswana was closely associated with religion and spiritual healing. Upon their arrival, European missionaries challenged the traditional African music as it was closely associated with native religion and spiritual beliefs. Christian denominations that developed natively, like the Zion Christian Church, incorporate native healing songs in its practices.[5]
Dance is closely integrated with traditional music.[3][5] Many of the instruments used in traditional songs require deliberate, complex movement of the body, particularly through the use of dance rattles.[6] Traditional songs are associated with whistling, percussion, rattles, and clapping. Drums are especially common in the music of the Kalanga people. Common folk instruments in traditional Setswana music include the setinkana hand piano, the two-string or three-string katara guitar, the segaba bowstring, and the lepatata horn.[3]
Songs are performed by several vocalists and instrumentalists. Different parts of the ensemble may harmonise with one another or stagger their notes to create momentum with interlocking sounds.[6] The reed dance was associated with harmonisation.[7]
Popular music
[edit]Just like other African countries, popular music in Botswana is called "jazz"; however, it has little resemblance to the African-American genre of the same name. There is an initiative to focus on revitalizing the Botswana music industry, instead of relying on foreign releases. Popular music in Botswana still comes from South Africa, the United States, Europe or elsewhere in Africa. Gumba-gumba is a form of modernized Zulu and Tswana music, mixed with traditional jazz.
The music of Botswana is minor in the world music scene. Botswana music is introduced from the British music media and French music media.
Botswana hip hop
[edit]Hip hop is a cultural movement, of which music is a part. Hip hop music for the most part is composed of two parts: rapping, the delivery of swift, highly rhythmic and lyrical vocals; and DJing and/or producing, the production of instrumentation through sampling, instrumentation, turntablism, or beatboxing, the production of musical sounds through vocalized tones.[135] The national hip hop radio show Strictly Hip Hop, hosted by Draztik[8] and Slim (of the Cashless Society Crew and co-founders of Unreleased Records), has done much for the Botswana hip-hop scene. Dagee Records[9] and Phat Boy are noted hip-hop record labels.[10] Motswako is also a popular genre.
Thato Matlhabaphiri and Game Bantsi emerged as some of the most successful hip hop artists of Botswana in the early 21st century.[3]
Folk music
[edit]Tswana music is primarily vocal, performed without drums and makes extensive use of string instruments, particularly the guitar and bow harp. In the absence of drums, a clapping rhythm is used in music with a typical call-and-response vocal style.
The folk singer and segaba player Ratsie Setlhako was one of the most popular post-independence musicians, performing at most national events from 1966 until his death in 1976.[11]
Music, dance styles:
Afro-pop/Jazz
[edit]This genre has been influenced by South African artists. It found its way into Botswana, where it is popular. In Botswana artists found a way to incorporate South African Jazz, disco music, and Botswana traditional dances and songs to make it more appealing to local and international audience. Afro-pop and Afro-Jazz artists include:
Kwaito music
[edit]This genre originates from the townships of Johannesburg. It has now found its way into Botswana, where it is becoming popular. Odirile Vee Sento's first album was released from Black Money Maker label.[12]
The kwaito singer Frank Lesokwane was one of the most successful artists in the early 21st century.[3]
Kwasa kwasa
[edit]An African version of rhumba, popularised in Central Africa, kwasa kwasa has a strong following in Botswana and has produced a number of musicians. It has a slower rhythm than original rhumba (increasing in tempo towards the middle of the song) and is calmer in style than its parent form, Afro-rhumba.
Some artists have attempted to speed up kwasa kwasa and make it more danceable. Artist Vee is one; his style is known as kwaito kwasa, a combination of kwaito music and kwasa kwasa rhythms and guitar.[13] Kwassa kwassa artists include:John Quaine and Gofaone El'Jeff Mfetane. Franco and Afro Musica was popular in Botswana.[14]
Rock and metal
[edit]The development of rock music's popularity in Botswana has been gradual.[15] The music has begun to gain momentum, partly due to mainstream media such as MTV, Channel O and the internet. The native Batswana have demonstrated an appreciation for this genre, and since 2000 many new bands have been formed; most play locally, but a few have toured southern Africa. Rock culture has been recognized with bands uniting in a "Rock Against AIDS" tour. Crackdust was famous Metal band in Botswana.[16]
The National Music Eisteddfod is held annually in Selebi-Phikwe.[17]
Industry and economics
[edit]Radio stations in Botswana often broadcast popular music. Each music station has a format, or a category of songs to be played; these are generally similar to but not the same as ordinary generic classification. Many radio stations in Botswana are locally owned media.
An independent music industry (indie music) does exist and artists remain at an indie label for their entire careers. Indie music may be in styles generally similar to mainstream music, but is often inaccessible, unusual, or otherwise unappealing to many people. Indie musicians often release some or all of their songs over the Internet for fans and others to download and listen.
Vendors often sell CDs made specifically to be played at weddings, featuring both wedding music and pop music.[18]
Education
[edit]Music is an important part of education in Botswana, and is a part of most or all school systems in the country. Music education is generally not mandatory in junior schools, and is an elective in later years. High schools generally offer classes in singing, mostly choral, and instrumentation in the form of a large school band.
Holidays and festivals
[edit]Music is an important part of several Botswana holidays, playing a major part in the celebration of Christmas.
Botswana is home to numerous music festivals, which showcase styles ranging from house to jazz to hip hop. Some music festivals are opened in local areas.
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Morton, Fred; Ramsay, Jeff, eds. (1987). The Birth of Botswana: A history of the Bechuanaland Protectorate from 1910 to 1966. Gaborone, Botswana: Longman Botswana. p. needed. ISBN 978-0-582-00584-6.
- ^ Denbow & Thebe 2006, p. 191.
- ^ a b c d e f Morton & Ramsay 2018, Music.
- ^ Morton & Ramsay 2018, Radio.
- ^ a b Denbow & Thebe 2006, pp. 191–192.
- ^ a b Denbow & Thebe 2006, p. 194.
- ^ Denbow & Thebe 2006, p. 195.
- ^ "Botswana's First Annual Hip Hop Music Awards". AfricasGateway.com. 2004-08-20. Retrieved 2020-01-20.
- ^ "US-based studio boss set to visit local artists". Mmegi. 19 March 2013.
- ^ "Botswana". African Hip Hop. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved 2005-09-28.
- ^ Morton & Ramsay 2018, Setlhako, Ratsie (ca. 1900–1976).
- ^ "Vee's first album". Botswana Unplugged. Rudeboy Nectar. 22 May 2009. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
- ^ Culture and customs of Botswana by James Raymond Denbow and Phenyo C. Thebe. Greenwood Publishing Group:2006(page 214) ISBN 0313331782.
- ^ Mokganedi, Mosah (2006-12-05). "Culture Spears steals limelight at BOMU music awards, Afro Musica sidelined in Franco video?". Mmegi Online. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
- ^ "Africa is the last frontier for metal: Botswana's metal heads still rocking". CNN. Retrieved 2014-08-20.
- ^ "Crackdust - Discography - Metal Kingdom". metalkingdom.net. Archived from the original on 2012-09-03. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
- ^ "National Music Eisteddfod". ISTC.org. Archived from the original on 2004-01-20. Retrieved 2005-09-28.
- ^ Denbow & Thebe 2006, p. 147.
References
[edit]- Denbow, James R.; Thebe, Phenyo C. (2006). Culture and Customs of Botswana. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-33178-7. OCLC 62118271.
- Morton, Barry; Ramsay, Jeff (2018). Historical Dictionary of Botswana (5th ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-5381-1133-8.