BOTSWANA: MUSIC AND DANCE

Like most African countries, music education and music in general is such an integrated part of their culture that it’s hard to separate music from its society. Most of the Tswana folk music is vocal music without the use of drums (somewhat rare for African music), but it does make use of stringed instruments in a lot of its music. The guitar has become popular in Tswana folk music in recent decades, overtaking the traditional segaba, although it is making a comeback. The segaba is a one-stringed instrument with a metal resonator on the end, some of which looks like old cans attached to the wooden base (reminding me of the township art mentioned in my last post). It’s played by striking the string with another wire attached to a wooden handle and sounds like a beginning violin player.

Kwaito music is a genre of music that originated out of Johannesburg, South Africa and has become really popular in nearby Botswana. A lot of South African culture has made its way across the border, but that’s probably to be expected, seeing how Johannesburg is roughly a five-hour drive from Gaborone. To me, there are elements of American hip-hop and of Caribbean dancehall.  It's kind of catchy. I like it.