Volume 50 Issue 3 - March 2012 : Art & Culture

In most cases and for a long time, when music devotees or columnists talked about great saxophonists of all time, they mentioned names such as Charlie Parker, Lester Young and John Coltrane. Conspicuously, the list comprises male names only.

It was only recently that names such as that of Jazz female saxophone player, Candy Dulfer, made the list.

Notwithstanding, female sax players are still few. However, Batswana women can hold their heads high
this month when saxophones cry to celebrate March 8 as International Women’s Day as newly discovered duo of female saxophonists in Akhutleleng Mogami aka Aku and Tracy Bortsie add to the sound.

The duo connects well for people who just met each
other last year during auditions for a newly formed band - Metrophones. The two have a lot in common. Both of them never thought of venturing into music but coincidentally landed there together. Intriguingly, Aku is 14 years older than Tracy but as they say age is just a number. The two women blend well together.

The 23-old Tracy was born in Gaborone to Tiny and Jyan Bortsie from Kanye and Ghana respectively. She is the first born in a family of three. She seems to have been markedfrom conception that she would play a saxophone because when she was still in her mother’s womb she would kick hard to the sound of Tracy Chapman’s music hence the name Tracy, so she was told.

Though there were telltale signs that the unborn child was a musical genius, her parents never pushed her to do music. She too showed less interest. While at Broadhurst Primary School, Tracy only knew that she wanted to act and was passionate about drama. Like any other child, Tracy instead joined the school choir just to while away time. However, when she got to upper class she started private guitar lessons.

She moved to a new school, Epworth in Peter Maritzburg in South Africa, after standard six where continued with her guitar lessons before switching to a piano in 2002.

“I got tired of it because the school changed teachers frequently. After quitting the head of department for music advised me to try one of the instruments. I gave it a try since I had nothing to lose and never stopped.”

As a sax player, Tracy joined the school’s gospel choir and worship team since it was a Christian institution. Then she happened to be among students who participated in the Grahams Town Jazz Festival. As a classical saxophonist she would read her notes which prompted the workshop coordinator to come hard on her since he expected her to memorise everything, a trait for successful tenor saxophonists.

After the workshop the instructor told her that she had potential and would go places.
“His admiration drove me to choose music as a career.

 I wanted to study jazz as something that I had just discovered and found it fulfilling. I used to associate it with oldies until the festival,” recalls Tracy.

Although she had wanted to enroll with the University of Cape Town (UCT) that was not possible as registration closed two months before the release of matric results. She had no idea about her next move. Tracy went on google searching for careers in music and discovered sound engineering. She did not waste time and enrolled with the City Varsity, graduating with a Diploma in Sound Engineering in 2009. Meanwhile, she also attended some Jazz lessons.

“I had hoped to stay in Cape Town because it is an inspiring and arty place. Recession got its toll and things were not so easy, so I decided to come home with the hope of getting a job,” says Tracy.

Having been away for more than eight years, she had no idea about the local entertainment scene, let alone contact persons to connect her with the right people. She embarked on a job-hunting mission with local radio stations but to
no avail. Later she got employed at DUMA FM as a sound engineer but soon discovered that it was not as fulfilling and felt underutilized hence quit after only four months.

The devoted member of Mount Zion Embassy then decided to go back to school and is now second year political science and public administration student at the University of Botswana. The tenor saxophonist says being at varsity has introduced her to new people that she really needs such as musicians. Then she met a member of a group called Prestige who suggested she should try her luck at the metropolitan auditions with just a day to go. She was against the idea as she thought she was not yet prepared. Nonetheless, she went for the auditions but still unsure.

“I opted for a freestyle knowing that it would allow me to err and get away with it. I was a bit too hard on myself for not preparing,” she recalls. Later they had a jam session as a group, a performance that she believes nailed everything.

Just being in the auditions filled her with hope as she met other musicians especially Aku who plays the same instrument.

“When we were called a week later by Metropolitan for a meeting we were excited to learn that the brass section which comprises us, trumpet and trombone guys did extremely well,” she says exceitedly.

Being part of Metrophones meant new things as they were expected to learn songs, they played hits from 1960 to contemporary music, something that forced them to grow quickly.

They held the Metropolitan show in August and September and after that they disbanded and had to be on their own. Fortunately one of the audition conductors introduced them to Punah Gabasiane who is a member of a Women of Jazz outfit and they have been doing some shows with her and other musicians such as Eugene Jackson.

They decided to keep the Metrophones secretary who from time to time sources corporate shows for the group. With a
DJ uncle, Ossy Teseletso who is doing corporate shows and cousin Presley a part of Third Mind, fame is not a farfetched idea. Although the two are reluctant to be tagged celebrities their desire is to touch lives through their music and go international.

Some people do not believe that these women can play sax until they see them on stage.

“I was humbled in one of our performances with Ringo from South Africa. Although women are proud of us I was touched when one woman cried seeing us playing the sax.”

To her anyone with good set of lungs and diaphragm can play the sax. Her sax is a gift from her father and by then it was worth around P27 000 but now its value has appreciated and the instrument values more than P50 000.

Her partner, Aku who plays alto sax, is the last born in a family of four. Her mother Ontiretse and late father Kepaletswe Maano, never allowed her to take extra curricula activities due to asthma. Growing up
in a village such as Mmadinare, Aku had nothing to do but read books, which saw her becoming one of the best performers.

Since she stayed next to school she could hear others singing in the school hall and would sing along. Despite not participating in extra curricula activities, she used to sing at church something she would take advantage of to convince her mother to allow her to join the school choir. While at Makome CJSS she tried a couple of sporting activities such as softball but could not make the cut because the bet was too big for her petit body and could not make a swing.

Aku tried volleyball but could not
spike across the net and yet again was sent packing. Her next stop was the netball field but her medical condition could not permit her. Fortunately one of the teachers trusted her with the school tuck-shop and also offered to teach her table tennis.

When she went to Matshekge Senior Secondary School she continued with the sport but also had interest in music, which made her to always look forward to record nights.

Aku now a music teacher at Ledumang Senior Secondary School had a song book and would lip-sync songs from Roxette, Brian Adams, among other music greats. Although she was an A student, her dreams were shattered when she got a third class which forced her parents to send her to Zimbabwe. She dropped out of school in form four due to study permit problems but was elated to come back home. Then she registered with YWCA and completed her secondary education. After completing her national service she did not have an idea of what next to do.

“Failing form five messed me up, I just wanted to do any course that would enable me get a job. I applied to MCE and was admitted.”

Although she was admitted to study Setswana and guidance and counseling, when she would later discover that she was to study Setswana and library services.

“I hated library services with a passion and never attended a single lesson. The dean advised me on a couple of courses which
I turned down and one day he suggested music and I gave it a try and I never looked back, I enjoyed and excelled in music,” reminiscences Aku


Aku also had a chance to try instruments such as keyboard and guitar. She was also sponsored to attend a music camp. After completion at MCE she was posted to Hukuntsi to teach music, something rare as music is a minor course.

After two terms she went on maternity leave and when she came back, she was transferred to Kumakwane where she applied her skill in the school choir. She left a mark as the school won the 2005 secondary schools choir competitions while she was voted best female choir conductor.

Still that year she was nominated for further studies in South Africa. The following year she enrolled for Bachelor of Arts in music at the University of Kwa Zulu Natal in Durban. “I wanted to do jazz but they offered only Diploma hence I enrolled for a general degree but it was boring. There were piano lessons but I could not feel it. I tried everything to change but to no avail,” recalls Aku. Then she decided to hire a saxophone and with a book from the library she taught herself how to play the instrument. Pianist’ students noticed her and were excited to see a woman rocking the sax. They invited her for their practice sessions and she played in the varsity praise and worship. After graduation she was posted to her present school (Ledumang) and the Revelations Times.

 Ministries International member’s love for music never ceased. She had the opportunity to attend a music camp in Sebele where she met and learnt a lot from another local jazz legend, Tsilo Baitsile.

All this while she had been playing at church as she believed that she was called to play in church until last year when one of the musicians she met at the camp gave her forms to enter the Metrophones auditions. Just like her counterpart she was averse to enter but the man convinced her otherwise.

Before going for further studies she met Andrew who used to play at Bull n Bush to help her with some lessons. Since he is a busy man he gave her a CD to play along and it was one of the songs from the CD that saw her forming a part of Metrophones. Aku felt honoured when the 18-piece band, Metrophones formed part of the 2011 Botswana Defence Force (BDF) annual charity concert.

“Playing before the president (Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama) and for charity was such an honour for us. Although we were playing for free it was a fulfilling gig for us. The funny part was that the army lads were intimidated, that is why they allowed us to play only one track instead of the three we initially agreed on,” quips Aku with a broad smile.

Aku says as female sax players they attract attention and reveals that they were once invited for a Jazz camp for female instrumentalists in Mpumalanga after one of the event coordinators saw them rehearsing for a show at Botswana Craft.

The divorced mother of one boy, Marato, intends to quit her teaching job at the end of the year to follow the love of her heart - music. She already
has a registered company, Kingdom Arts.

Academy, which will offer arts lessons, consultancy, hold workshops for teachers and also sell musical instruments and books. Being her own boss will enable her to travel and play especially that the two are planning to form a group of their own.

Her desire is to see the local music industry grow with both self-taught and trained musicians to run it professionally.

“Instrumentalists in the country are mostly foreigners and my desire is to see Batswana being developed in those areas. Parents should encourage their children on such courses as they are less exploited,” says Aku.

To them their saxophones are like cars, they have to be cleaned and taken for services.
They have been servicing
them in
South
Africa
something
they state
it is too
costly but
of late they discovered
they can do
it at the BDF
which is cheaper than going across the border.

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