Botswana is an ancient country. The first humans started to live in Botswana for more than 100,000 years ago. The country is consist of different ethnic groups. Botswana culture expressed with traditional music and dances, which today mixed with modern music inside the local folk music market.
The country is surrounded by Zambia from the north, Zimbabwe from east, Namibia from north and east and South Africa from the south. The country was colonized by Britain and Botswana got its Independence in 1964. The first president, British-educated Seretse Khama was member of largest ethnic tribe in the country. The population is about 2 million people which is good for a country for this size. Kalahari Desert, which is one of biggest nature representative of nature in Africa, covers up huge part of Botswana and most of habitant lives in other part of country. The main religion is Christianity which reflect it’s in influence on church choir which are common in all the country and is part of folk and traditional music of Botswana.
Folk music of Botswana is mostly base on vocal and performance (dance). Traditional music of indigenous people is a vocal songs accompanied by clapping hands with a nice and complicated rythmic lines. Botswana folk music in many cases accompanied by traditional instruments such as Segaba/Segankure (kind of bowed string instrument), Phala (kind of whistle instrument), Moropa (kind of drum).
Popular and modern music today in Botswana are strongly influenced by these folk music although it is mainly mixed with western instruments. Music has strong part in Education system in Botswana and children of all ages are taught traditional songs, dances and music.
Tswana music
One of the most important type of folk music in Botswana is Tswana music. It is a vocal performance without drums which is strange for a traditional music of African tribe but instead, clapping hands is the essential part of rhythmic section. Vocal section is a type of call-and-respond style. This type of folk music, most of the time accompanied by string instruments like guitar.