Botswana: Sixty Years of Music Shapes Nation Cultural Identity

Gaborone — The visual spectacle of the recent Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) Awards presented, like Cinderella at the ball, the coming out party of an ugly duckling turned pretty princess.

Six decades ago, as the Bechuanaland Protectorate gave way to the independent Republic of Botswana, there was no modern music industry to speak of, no bands, recording studios, distribution or marketing channels.

Today, as the nation commemorates its Diamond Jubilee, a rich library of music has been…