As Kabo Leburu cooks his next Ethno Jazz offering, the question will not be whether it will be good enough, but whether it will be better than his debut offering, Footsteps, which was released in 2008.
“Footsteps is Kabo’s story. It is an introduction to my musical journey; it is my first step into my musical journey,” Leburu informed Telegraph Entertainment.
And what a journey it has been for the lad from the Peleng Township of Lobatse!
Still in the early part of his musical journey, Leburu, who only does music part time whilst holding a full time job, says he is influenced by a rainbow of events and people in his music.
“My music is an infusion of two genres, the African Jazz and another style from America called blue grass,” he said. “I am influenced by the past great artists from Botswana in the likes of Ndona Poifo, Phika Ditsebe and Andries Bok and many others, both locally and internationally, like Louis Mhlanga and Earl Klugh to mention just a few.”
And his first offering clearly shows that. The first song in Footsteps, called ‘Kalahari Bluegrass’ is a song that will, in many people, revoke the nostalgic feelings and memories of yesteryear’s singing greats.
The song is crafted in the same manner of finger picking guitar playing used by local folk singers, the likes of Bok, Poifo or even Stampore.
“I offer something different from what is on the market. I wanted an internationally acceptable music without losing my African heritage. My music borrows from who we are as a people without ignoring the foreign influences on us,” he said. “One of the most well received pieces in my past offering, was track 6, called Sejaro which was influenced by my bone throwing late grandfather who was a traditional doctor. I am proud of him and he is one of the people who influenced me most in my music career.”
As a young boy, Leburu says he used to watch his grandfather ‘conversing with the bones’ and even went out with him when going to dig for herbs to cure people.
Though a Christian, the jazz maestro says he can’t forsake his African roots and will still use African herbs. Looking into the future, Leburu says though he would like to do music full time, he still cannot say what the future has in store.
“If you look at the CD print, you will notice footsteps walking out, to where? I cannot tell. All I can say is keep watching,” Leburu says. Concerning his upcoming project, Leburu says it is influenced by his love of children. A father of one, he says his next album has songs like Ngwana wa Moafrika (African Child), Bana bokamoso just to name a few. “Once the album is out, I intend to do a charity show to raise funds which I will use to buy kids in care homes musical instruments which I will also teach them to play,” he said. “It is a wonderful thing to be a father and I can’t bear imagine my child suffering. It hurts me to see children suffering hence this planned charity event,” said Kabo. He says for those who want to sample his music, both past and upcoming, all they have to do is visit You Tube and search his name to check his latest postings.
