“Leteisi on Fleek” wraps up Independence Celebrations in Style

The 56th Botswana Day fell in a year of Mafikizolo’s Silver Anniversary

GOSEGO MOTSUMI

Leteisi On Fleek got off to a vibrant start at Royal Aria Stadium in Tlokweng last weekend where revellers explored Botswana’s national fashion essence of leteisi (German print) a day after Independence Day.

Most patrons at the well-attended show showcased their creativity with the fabric as they enjoyed performances by local and international artists.

The name of the event, “Leteisi on Fleek,” which loosely translates into “Leteisi at its Best,” lived up to its name as patrons turned up decked out in the traditional attire and had their beautiful moments captured on camera for much sharing on social media platforms.

But many of the festival goers, who were mostly women, seemed to be out to outdo one another in going beyond the boundaries of the traditional blue leteisi by opting for green, red and mustard versions of the fabric to bring an eruption of spring to the festival.

 

Mafikizolo Steals the show
Although the line-up was star-studded with Batswana artists such as Dato Seiko, Amantle Brown and Double Up, it was South Africa’s Mafikizolo that commanded the crowd’s fullest attention. The band that is renowned for its hits iEmlanjeni, Khona and Masthokoze among many others, kept the revellers on their feet with nostalgic memories that travelled over two decades.

“I especially liked the fact that Mafikizolo performed at 5pm, which is a time when everyone could see and enjoy their craft on stage,” said one Lesedi Bareeng. “We should do away with this trend of slotting international acts in the wee hours when some people have grown tired or left before they could enjoy a performance that they really paid for.”
On stage, the popular music duo Nhlanhla Mafu and Theo Kgosinkwe revealed that they were celebrating 25 years in the music industry and continued to perform their celebratory play list, much to the delight of patrons.

Mafikizolo has been able to evolve with the times and remain relevant to cater for today’s music market.