No!semakers on Parade is not your ordinary everyday band.
Formed on April 1 2008, the group prides itself on its comic lyrics, a crazy punk/rock/rap fusion, an extraordinary name, electrifying live performances.
The band says it is inspired by, of all people, Loose Cannon!
The four members, Tlamelo El Ramodisa, Keagile ‘KG’ Moitshoki, Pako ‘PK’ Moshaga and Wynton ‘Drummerboy’ Senwelo, are convinced that theirs is a movement, thus the “Parade” added to their name.
No!semakers On Parade always found it hard to classify some of their music into already existing genres. Instead they introduced their own genre, Melodic Rapcore.
Their well-crafted slams are written over a catchy guitar piece, with a strong emphasis on the melodic succession of chords and harmonic vocals.
Weird name for a music band?
Well, this is easily attributed to the band wanting to run as far away as possible from any already taken name and their not giving priority to giving the band a fancy name.
Front man, El Ramodisa, said that before settling for the name, the band went by the moniker ‘Simple Plan’.
“We googled the name and found out that a group by that name already existed. We then went for AKA, but then, again, we discovered that a South African artiste already went by that name. It was then that I suggested the name to the other guys. We have since become known as No!semakers on Parade,” he said.
He goes on to explain that the name captures the band’s essence. “We like our sound big and rich,” he said.
All band members taught themselves how to play their instruments. According to KG, who now plays the rhythm guitar, his first encounter with the guitar was in 2008 when he started learning how to play.
Founders of the band, PK and El, started playing in 2006 while at UB. He says they were convinced they could play the guitar “yet none of us knew not the first thing about playing”.
PK now plays the lead guitar while El plays the bass guitar.
They all incorporate ideas when writing songs and are inspired by anything from social commentary to life situations. Though they do not stress about relaying any message in their songs, they sometimes write informative songs.
Unlike most groups, “The Parade” was born through sheer coincidence.
The four were brought together by their love for music and fun, having met through mutual friends who somehow thought they would be right for each other.
They started writing and playing songs about the normal out-of-the-ordinary but funny happenings in everyday life.
Ramodisa describes their music as “feel good, party music that moves people; this is mostly owing to our age and generally because we are feel good people”.
Since the group was formed, they have played parties and rounded events where they are loved by their listeners.
Band Manager Lilliana Onthusitse said that, usually, she does the running around looking for worthy events where the band can perform and then call promoters to let them play at their gigs.
Though its humble beginnings can be traced from the UB where they say most of their fan base is located, probably because that’s where the band started and started most of performances, the group has also performed with some big names in the industry, and they are proud to state such!
“We used to play with Ice Queen as a supporting band. She tutored us and a lot of other great artists and we are proud to have gone through her hands,” Ramodisa revealed.
The band has also played with Zeus’ champagne show, played at the Mosadi Concert, and graced the Gaborone Sun both in 2009.
Recently, in 2010 they hosted their own show, dubbed the Woodstock Music Festival.
The band is currently working on their first single, which they will release by the end of February.
“We are working with 3 different studios and all have something great to offer us and we are bound to settle with only one of them, said Moitshoki.
Ramodisa added that they wanted to give people a chance to hear what they are about.
The single is entitled “Punk party Part one/Kicks, shades & skinny jeans”. They are also playing a show around Valentine’s Day and aim to wow with their performance then.
They said that the start with their music career has not been easy because they, like many other artists, need capital to elevate their careers.
They also complain about the insistence by local artists on lip synching.
“We believe in live shows; that is our trade mark. We are a live band and when we play at most shows, we find DJs and presenters wanting us to give them our CD and rushing us to perform,” said manager Onthusitse. “Transporting our equipment proves very hard as the band does not have a truck of its own.”
