Improving with time like the proverbial fine wine, trumpet legend Socca Moruakgomo is heading back to the studio to weave his magic on a much anticipated studio album, his fourth, which will carry the title ‘Destiny.’
Why Destiny?
“I have realized that this album may determine my ultimate destination,” he replies coyly with a smile.
He says that through his journey in music he would like to be “somewhere in the world.”
Moruakgomo has kept to his belief in five year gap between albums, driven by a passion to uplift quality over quantity. His last recording was in 2008.
In endearing fashion, he says fans should expect ‘Destiny’ to hit the shelves in the New Year. This is to strategically beat the traffic artists get lost in when they release albums during the festive season.
However ahead of this epic release, fans should be on the lookout for an album titled ‘Best of Socca.’
He says though social media, fans will be rewarded by choosing their favorite Socca Moruakgomo songs from his previous albums, with and the top ones making it into the compilation album.
This new album is expected to feature various local and international artists to be announced at a later stage. Other tracks in the forthcoming album which Moruakgomo felt were worth mentioning were ‘Destiny’ and ‘Freezing in the UK’.
Away from the studio, Moruakgomo is an amazing husband, father, karate teacher and a full time teacher.
His efforts in society have not gone unnoticed for recently, he was invited to the Men and Boys for Gender Equality event where he gave the young men powerful advice and encouraged them to get married and to stop playing the field since it will not benefit them in anyway.
He attributes status to his exemplary lifestyle. “It is the best way to assist the people you live with in the community,” he intones.
Though he avers that he can play most of the musical instruments like the piano, guitar and the bass, his favorite is the trumpet, which he has been playing since 1979. He describes the instrument as an extension of his voice.
Moruakgomo currently boasts a brass Mercedes Benz Trumpet.
On politics, Moruakgomo’s opinion is that the music industry of Botswana has outgrown the population and people still do not regard Batswana as professionals and promoters are always quick to rope in foreign acts.
Locally, promoters target amateurs and exploit them, paying them peanuts and sometimes not paying them at all.
Moruakgomo stresses that artists need to know and appreciate their worth and that they should insist on signing binding and fair contracts before performing at shows.
He concludes by urging artists to support the Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) which will in turn look out for their interests when dealing with the corporate world to avoid exploitation.
Moruakgomo will be in the studio in Johannesburg South Africa at the beginning of this week working in his latest masterpiece.
