This troubadour has an affinity with poetry and uses verses to share God as her timeless love
GOSEGO MOTSUMI
Entitled ‘A Poem for Poetry,’ the debut single from Gabs-born and bred neo-soul artist Kelesitse Mokgatlhe is a song about hope and rectitude. Mokgatlhe draws her inspiration from her affinity for poetry which she characterises as a medium for sharing God as her eternal love. Kelesitse is not cut from the same cloth as any neo-soul artists, but you are just as likely to have a jam session with her music through poetic quips like, “Your words live in my sinews / I trip over my insides each time I don’t give you the room you need / Like war of punctuation and enunciation / Waiting on you is an art.”
“I needed to immortalise a piece of work for God and God alone,” she told Time Out. “The single is a story about recognising that poetry is my first love and that poetry too deserves a poem. “Sometimes we overlook the gifts that God gave us and look outward. The song is a reminder for myself and anyone else who needs to remember to place purpose above popularity.”
In her latest offering, Kelesitse’s vocals are gentle and nourishing. She recites her lyrics like one bringing the depths of her soul to the surface. This is an artist who grew up listening to a range of world music, from rhumba and hip-hop to RnB. Kelesitse started her musical journey over 10 years ago with passion projects, recording music with producer friends like DJ Mbuso of Sunshine and Groove Afrika of Daybreak.
“I can’t pinpoint a particular musical influence because I still listen to so many genres. But I grew up loving the likes of Sade and Kadja Nin. My music is inspired by life more than it is by a single individual artist,” she says.
“A Poem for Poetry” is a step towards her debut album that is taking shape as the artist wants to share something of great value before it is released. The single will be available across all digital platforms on 6 May 2020. It was produced, composed, and recorded by Leroy Nyoni at Village Sound Studios and mixed and mastered by Maleho Makgothi at Pumi Soundz.
Kelesitse is a poet storyteller, writer, actress, voice-over artist, singer, and qualified TV presenter at OnCue Communications in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has directed and produced her own theatre play titled “Gaborone: It is Unbecoming,” showcasing in both Botswana and Namibia at the Arts Summit of Southern Africa closing night in 2018. The Kelesitse brand is aptly described as “an intimate encounter”. It is a space where she boldly shares her influential passion for storytelling with the world.