Tribal Monks are YAMAs Hall of Famers

  • Khiring Khiring Khorong biggest winner of the night
  • Khuli Chana and HHP perform

GOSEGO MOTSUMI

One of the highlights of the past weekend’s Yarona FM Music Awards (YAMAs) held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre (GICC) was the Hall of Fame honour bestowed on Botswana’s pioneering and legendary group, Tribal Monks.
It’s founders David Ski Molosi and Solo B Monyame received the award which was described as being   for the Tribal Monks’ musical recording of lasting “qualitative and historical significance”. “We make music and the music doesn’t make us. I was looking at the music performances here at the YAMAs and I really dig it. We have taken this industry from nothing to here, such a proud moment,” Molosi said speaking on behalf of the band’s members, some of whom did not make it to the awards.
An elated Monyame shared some of the highlights of their music career back in the 90s. “Back then Skizo had a City Golf and we used to sleep in it to try get producers in Joburg to work with us. The guy who helped us was Don Laka, special thanks to you. I think we are the first guys to come out after graduating from college and did music and our parents and family supported us and we would like to thank them,” he said adding that “There are members of Tribal Monks who are not here today and I would like to give them a shout out. Thank you, Bra John, back then we thought we were doing something fantastic, we had an interview in Orapa with a newspaper which stated that we had reached the top of the music scene and we thought no, we have not reached the top, the top is when everybody is doing it! And guess what you are doing it!”
In a previous column penned by Eric Ramco for The Botswana Gazette, he said he had watched the legendary Tribal Monks a few times before the 90s under the management of Olivier OP Prentout but it was at Ditshupo Hall where they performed alongside Stimela that he really fell in love with them. “And fell more in love with their song ‘Ka Dikgoka’. They were good, very good,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, ATI ft. Yung Amazing and Legacy’s song Khiring Khiring Khorong proved that they are still ahead in the music business as they were the biggest winners of the night. The song scooped Best Single Male, Best Single Hip Hop Motswako and Song of The Year awards. The 4th instalment of the awards also came with a twist and had guest appearances by Khuli Chana and HHP.
Yarona FM Station Manager Kelly Ramputswa said having the two-award winning South African musicians at the ceremony was a demonstration that the YAMAs were growing into an international event. “It’s important to have such big stars grace us with their presence, it’s an opportunity for us to show them our talents and provide a unique networking platform that can help our artists reach greater heights,” she said.