A Sad Song And A Happy Song From Matsieng
Two songs from a Botswanan group named for a famous cultural site.
It's a sweeping generalization, for sure. But it's probably not far off the mark to say that much African music tends to be upbeat and happy. Which is why it seems so unusual to run across a song that's not. That's "Mankoko," the first song embedded below. My command of Setswana, the Botswanan language, is weak, to say the least. But a picture is worth at least a thousand words and a video even more and the video suggests that the song is about a friend who has passed.
The song is from Matsieng, a group who hail from Gaborone, Botswana's capital. The group came together in 2005 and found success early on. After some time away from the business, they made a comeback, in 2020, as detailed here. For more on the Botswanan culturual site that gave the group their name, look here.
If downbeat music is not your thing then skip to the second song - "Mmalebopo." It will lift your spirits.