Botswana has a diverse popular music scene, from traditional choirs to death metal, but one of the most popular sounds in the streets is house kwassa: a local blend of soukous-style guitars, hard house drums and energetic vocals, often in the style of kwaito. Early pioneers include the Eskimos, Street Gang, Wizards of the Desert, and Vee Mampeezy, who has survived, thrived and, in the process, evolved the sound in the direction of mainstream pop. Charma Gal and Slizer are the ruling queens in the genre, and young star Zolasko is making his mark as a producer/singer and his fresh style is attracting fans in Namibia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and South Africa as well.
Mix by Morgan Greenstreet, AKA DJ Modrums, co-producer of the program "Botswana, Dumelang" with Lollise Mbi.
And for a bit of a wider survey of Botswana's musical offerings, this YouTube playlist offers 109 videos from across the country's aural spectrum.
