Mmabatho

Singer, songwriter and producer Tomeletso Sereetsi is something of a hero in his homeland as an exponent of the unique Botswanan four-string guitar technique, a tradition on which we turned the spotlight in Songlines #139. Mmabatho is his fourth album since his 2015 debut Four String Confessions, and he seems to like giving his albums themes: 2018’s Motoko was a tribute to his late father, while Mmabatho is dedicated to his wife Kagelelo, and is packed with warm and tender love songs. The title-track is presented in two versions that reflect the contrasting sides of his musical personality – first in a stripped-down take with acoustic guitar and then in a more textured rendition with full band. For the most part, though, it’s the latter, more expansive sound that defines the album, from the jazz-soul ‘Rranneu’, which features the Botswanan rapper Mosako, to the contemporary Afropop of ‘Gae’ with guest vocals from the Tswana traditional singer, MmaAusi.