The village of Mokgware came alive last week to remember the late legendary folkflore musician, Ratsie Sethako.
Still ruling the airwaves with his songs, Sethako was a force to reckon in the olden days.
┬áThe National Museum which is mandated to preserve and promote heritage in all its forms researched and documented┬á his ┬áworks as part of the ┬ápreservation. The artist is understood to have a very unique way of playing the one string violin or “Segaba”, which he carried around.
┬áMinister of Enviroment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Kham,a emphasized when launching Ratsie’s Sethako booklet and documentary that the museum took a decision to come up with a project approved by the┬áUNESCO 2003 Convention that Botswana is a signatory to. The Convention calls for the safeguarding of the cultural heritage.
┬á“The museum project on the musician indeed shows that Botswana was joining the international community in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage,” Khama said. “Intangible cultural heritage includes song, music, drama, skills, crafts and other parts of culture that cannot be touched.
Botswana National Museum undertook a research and documentation project on Ratsie Setlhako,┬áhence the production of a booklet and documentary.”
He indicated that the event was celebrating talent as well as acknowledging and ensuring the continued existence of the rich heritage that Ratsie Setlhako has left to the nation.
 Ratsie Setlhako was well known for composing and using music to comment on the socio-political and historical changes occurring during his times.
┬á“I am told the first President of the Republic of Botswana, the late Sir Seretse Khama, was a great admirer of his music. There are stories of the former President having personally invited Ratsie to perform in some official events in Gaborone,” added Khama.
┬áHe stressed that Ratsie’s songs are both educative and informative. ┬áThe minister said that in his song ‘People’s Party e re setsemorago’ he was educating Batswana to participate in general elections.
┬áThe artist ┬áwas also known for the preservation of Setswana culture, morality and positive change as evident in his famous songs ‘Iyelele, Iyelennana’ and ‘A re chencheng.’
 Khama noted that the songs can be used in a broader context today, to change the behaviour in the fight against HIV/AIDS, alcoholism and teenage pregnancy.
Ratsie was also known as a visionary artist and true to what he believed in.  He resisted abandoning segaba when most traditional musicians ditched traditional musical instruments for the more technologically advanced instruments like the accordion.    
The artist tragically died in 1976 after being hit by a car in Palapye.┬áHe died when he was billed to perform at the National Stadium in that year’s independence celebration. After his death, the Radio Botswana programme, Dipina le Maboko, continued to┬ápromote his music. ┬á
The artist’s songs have been appreciated by Batswana in neighbouring South Africa and enjoy reasonable air time on Motsweding FM.┬á ┬á
┬á“The government of Botswana enacted a legislation called Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act.┬áThis law is designed to protect the work of artists like Ratsie Setlhako whether alive or dead against piracy.┬áThe Government of Botswana has furthermore established a body called Copyright Society of Botswana COSBOTS which is aimed at the monitoring and auditing of the use of works, licencing users legitimate use of works,” said Khama.
