- Sereetsi and The Natives on the lineup
- Ndingo Johwa, Apollo Diablo to run workshop for budding artists
- Chefs will be on hand for revellers to sample iKalanga cuisine
IMI MOKGETHI
Styled “Battle of Mitanda,” the first-ever iKalanga International Festival will see renowned Kalanga artists Lizibo and Ndingo Johwa battle it out on stage and give budding creatives in the northern part of Botswana paid exposure to showcase their art towards realising their dreams.
One of the show’s organisers, Lizibo himself, has told Time Out that the fledglings do not get enough opportunity to expose their talent, especially at major events.
Young artists
He said they have selected a significant number of them to be on the lineup because one of the main objectives of the festival is to nurture such young artists and ensure that they get all the necessary support to make it in the creative industry.
“The selection process was not based on being a young and upcoming artist but was a thorough process to ensure that we give supporters value for money on the day,” Lizibo explained.
“Fortunately, we have a lot of young and upcoming iKalanga artists who are massively talented. We are very happy with our selection, which also includes both traditional and contemporary iKalanga poets.”
Empowerment workshop
The Malebeswa hitmaker added that an empowerment workshop that will be facilitated by seasoned Kalanga artists like Ndingo Johwa and Apollo Diablo is lined up for the budding artists after the event.
According to Lizibo, although the event is a celebration of the iKalanga culture, the lineup will include artists from other parts of the country such as Sereetsi and The Natives.
“This is an inclusive event which recognises other cultures, hence we have lined up acts that are not from the North,” he said, adding that the complete lineup will be released by the end of this week and will comprise 100% local acts.
A bit of everything
The festival is set to give revellers a taste of old and modern iKalanga culture displayed through dance, music and food. “I guarantee that revellers will experience a bit of everything of the iKalanga culture,” Lizibo said.
“They will get to see Hosanna dance and new age iKalanga trap and jazz music. They will also sample iKalanga cuisine as we hope to get upcoming Ikalanga chefs to come and showcase their culinary skills.”
Tickets
The event is slated for 26 December at Domboshaba. Tickets are available from Choppies stores in Gaborone, Francistown, Tutume, Masunga and Tonota for P250 Standard, P1000 VIP and P1500 VVIP.