Mamakie Motlogelwa is a singer and songwriter born in Bodibe in the North-West Province and grew up in Itsoseng. She was nominated at the SATMA 2022 in the Best Setswana Artist category as well as the PANSALB Awards in the Best Setswana Artist Category.
“I grew up in a Church family and I was surrounded by the choir and the Brass Band at an early age and this shaped and inspired me I do African Jazz and a bit of Gospel in my native tongue Setswana I started working on music professionally as a backing vocalist for Nathi Mosele around 2013 and then went on to be a backing vocalist for Beesting. In 2018 I got a record deal and that’s when I stood on my own and released my Debut EP (Extended Play)” she stated.
Motlogelwa further went to say that she would love to work with Judith Sephuma, Buhlebendalo, Nanas and Ngaka Matwetwe as she felt that these artists are very gifted and their music is rooted in spirituality and the world still has to embrace their gift. She alluded that most artists are not recognised at home and still have to deal with issues of payola both in terms of getting playlisted and getting bookings.
“I’m a child of the Ancestors so they always make sure that I don’t get exploited in terms of the bookings. I heal the nation through my songs and I’ve ventured into doing my own events as my fans are always supportive. The brand has grown and there’s been an interest in neighbouring countries and even overseas.
“I always speak out against any form of abuse more especially towards women and children. We as artists also need to be more vocal even though a lot has been said but this scourge is still rife in our communities. It hurts that the messages tend to fall on deaf ears but we still need to keep on fighting it until this demon is a thing of the past,” she added.
She further went on to elaborate that the main challenge was that the same artists, and mostly ones who do bubble gum music, were favoured over those who were rooted in Edutainment. She stressed that being a woman is also hard as men out there tend to think that one can open up their thighs to get ahead. “Your work ethic at times doesn’t open up doors for you as this industry has a lot of gatekeepers,” she added.
Her message to aspiring musicians was to never give up and fight for what they have and truly believe in. She advised them to be humble and they should ask for assistance through guidance and mentorship. “Be positive and educate yourself as much as you can about the industry at large and the world,” she quipped.
She recently released her single “Ngwana ‘Malome”, which is doing very well, and already playlisted and on high rotation on a number of radio stations and busy with a radio tour for that. She is also planning her One Woman Show while recording her album live with her band.
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I’m a married woman with kids and also a healer. I make sure that I strike a balance in dedicating time to my family and healing the nation and making music,” concluded Mamaki.
