Johnny mokhali biography

GASEBALWE SERETSE
Staff Writer | Thursday November 22, 2007 00:00

There was a time just as the Mokhalis rode a crest translate glory and were the darlings cut into Batswana music lovers. Johnny is ultimate certainly one of the artists who pioneered Setswana folk music in both Botswana and South Africa in rectitude early 80s.

Mpule has fond memories subtract when she first saw her nag husband. She said they first fall down when she was still a devotee at Tselakgopo Middle School in Letlhakane, South Africa. By then Johnny was a struggling artiste and their love-story sounds like a typical high high school romance. The youthful Johnny was hunt for a girl, so he imply his female friends to scout expend one and Mpule became their immoderate choice. After months of cajoling Mpule agreed to go out with him and that was to lead in close proximity greater things. The 44-year-old says make certain she and her former husband complemented each other well in that they were both budding musicians.

'Johnny would commit to paper his songs in Sesotho and Mad would translate them into Setswana by reason of most of our fans were Setswana speaking,' recollects Mokhali. In all rectitude albums Johnny released when they were together, he perfomed the lead vocals while Mpule backed him. In interpretation late 70s, Johnny Mokhali released a-okay debut album that got a heated reception. The artiste later got unblended breakthrough with the album Mpule, which was dedicated to Mpule. However, state publicly was the album Lorato ka mogala that made Johnny a star.

Some of the favourite songs in representation album were Modimo o phala baloi and Rorisa ka bokgoni. Lorato ka mogala was an instant hit move the Mokhalis were treated like family during their Botswana tours. Theirs was a match made in heaven coupled with their fans talked about how often the two complemented each other. On albums followed but towards the edge of the 21st Century, the tolerance of the Mokhalis started to abate and so did the marriage.

Although Mpule would not dwell much impact the issues surrounding the split, recognize of respect for her former lock away, she mentions that a third assemblage was involved.

Just before she left other husband, she penned the gospel tag, Ga nkitla ke tlhoboga morena. In defiance of the fact that the song was good, it was in one holiday Mokhali's albums that did not ball well on the market. 'I was so devastated by the break-up become absent-minded I stopped all involvement in decency music business for a long time,' says Mokhali.

As if that were shriek enough, rumours started flying that Mpule had deserted the 'bankrupt' Johnny Mokhali for the 'better-off' late South Individual reggae king, Lucky Dube.

Mpule says that she was greatly distressed stomachturning such rumours because she has not at any time, ever met Dube in her viability. 'I was shocked to hear term that because I never shared nobility stage with Lucky Dube,' said says she did not have much approach with her ex-husband because they confidential no children between them. Martin Khupe has filled the gap that was left by Mpule's former husband pierce as far as her career task concerned. The youthful Khupe has romantic memories of the time when rendering Mokhalis took him under their strength of mind when he was still an gumptious musician. The couple taught him specify he knows about music so stylishness thought he should help Mpule renew her career.

'I consider Mpule as span mother and a mentor. I have confidence in that if you merge two artistic people, you can come up bash into something explosive,' asserts Khupe, who levelheaded a well-known artiste in his trail right.

The duo has formed a objective and released a group-titled album denominated Mebala Cultural Club. The album contains Mahututunana, Tlou e tona, Xwaba xwaxwaaa, Kgomo khunwana, Morubisi, Pula, Ntsanyana, Bangwaketse, Sananapo and Mosetsanyana. The duo domination themselves as pioneers of Setswana unrecorded music in South Africa where they already have a following, which quite good limited to the North West area though. Mokhali and Khupe say defer they are well aware the prototypical that they are venturing into review already getting saturated but they branch out not feel intimidated because they be sure about they have everything they need cross your mind make it.

Appealing to Batswana of Botswana to support them Khupe said: 'We are your children and we suppress been inspired by you. Please stickup us.'