- Popular music festival transitions to virtual format
- Country’s best vocalists, Han C and Dato Seiko, headline first gig
- Mascom Live Sessions will not feature foreign artists
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
After the coronavirus introduced music enthusiasts and gig goers to a world void of live music performances that have become the norm over the past 17 months, Mascom has responded with a virtual edition of the Mascom Live Sessions to beat the cabin fever while keeping everyone safe.
The first virtual gig was staged last Friday featuring top vocalists Han C and Dato Seiko who brought back to revellers a world that seemed long gone.
“In light of the current situation that renders it impossible to have the usual event format, we have opted for a virtual show,” Chief Communications and PR Officer at Mascom, Tebogo Lebotse-Sebego, said in an interview.
“That will also help drive the awareness and visibility of this sponsorship property to reach more people as the current broadcast transcends both locally and internationally. The idea is to have a show for at least each quarter in 2021.”
The premiere of the virtual festival was on the Mascom YouTube channel and was accessible free of charge to everyone who has access to YouTube locally or internationally. Past Mascom Live Sessions always paired an international and a local act but the key driver of the current virtual affair was to showcase Botswana musicians to Batswana and the world.
“For that reason, the sessions will not feature foreign artists but will pair established local artists who have performed on the Mascom Live Sessions stage before with new and upcoming artists,” Lebotse-Sebego explained. “We would like to give the novices a platform to showcase their talent by exposing them to the big stage to help nurture their growth.
Dato Seiko and Han C took advantage of the Botswana Craft stage to offer an audiovisual feast, using different formats to keep their fans at home engaged and agog. From their performances with a live band, brief interviews with the show’s host Robin Chivazve, the entire show did not permit a dull moment.
With a new EP titled “Grace Effect,” one of the country’s fastest rising stars Dato Seiko opened the show with her hit song “Phenyo ke Yoo” and covered other songs such as “Kaone Kario” and “The Wait.”
It was nothing like a debut on Mascom Live Sessions for her, which it was. Asked how it felt to perform without an audience, the songbird lilted: “Going to a film school has helped me a lot because I was taught that the camera is my audience.”
Botswana’s powerhouse singer-songwriter, Han C, also lived up to his star billing, belting out hit after hit in an energy-packed performance. He performed “Sedi La’ka,” “Seileng” and “Itsatsaula,” which features Charma Gal.
Han C took the opportunity to disclose that he is currently working on a new album that will have no features.