Museke brings you an interview with Leroy Monaheng, a house producer from Botswana. He was recently nominated Channel O Music Video award for his hit dance song called Merafhe (Merathe).

Museke: How are you?
Leroy Monaheng: Um fyn!!!

Museke: Can you tell us about your background and family?
Leroy Monaheng: Am from a Christian family, raised by a single mother, grew up in Gaborone, Botswana.

Museke: How did you get into music and what was your first break?
Leroy Monaheng: Can’t tell, I don’t remember but I made my break after I finished college.

Museke: Did you attend any music schools and what musical instruments do you play?
Leroy Monaheng: Um a Audio Engineer graduate and um into keyboards

Museke: How did you get into sound engineering?
Leroy Monaheng: When I was in Senior High that’s what I always wanted to do.
How was it living in South Africa? Is it much different from working and living in Botswana? SA has lots of musicians, talented and non-talented, was always on my toes.

Museke: Which African musicians did you listen to growing up?
Leroy Monaheng: Rra Tsie Setlhako, local guy.

Museke: Which African musicians do you idolize or admire (presently)?
Leroy Monaheng: Fela Kuti

Museke: How long did it take you to do your first album and how many albums do you have to your credit?
Leroy Monaheng: It took me some few days, hahahaha!!! Just joking. I really don’t know coz I did it on my spare time, whenever I wasn’t too busy.

Museke: What are some of other musicians you have worked with?
Leroy Monaheng: I’ve worked with lots of talent, some can’t even remember, but working with Uncle John Selolwane, it was the coolest of them all(He’s the guy playing the guitar in Merafhe). He’s one of African Legend who’s not famous, being to places, played with big guys in Africa, Europe and the States.

Museke: Which musicians would you like to work with?
Leroy Monaheng: Any talented African musician, with lots of African influence.

Museke: What kind of music do you do?
Leroy Monaheng: I do all genres but house/dance’s my favorite.

Museke: What are the different kinds of music indigenous to Botswana?
Leroy Monaheng: Our traditional music “Mino wa Setswan”.

Museke: What is the inspiration for the songs you write?
Leroy Monaheng: It goes with the mood or the atmosphere um in but mostly inspirited by my roots.

Museke: What is your opinion on the use of signatures of sound engineers on songs that they produce for other musicians?
Leroy Monaheng: I think it’s just childish and stupid.

Museke: Are you on a record label and how is that going?
Leroy Monaheng: Just dumped the one I was with end of last year, now um with Virgin Brew, it’s new and I can see big and greater things happening.

Museke: Have you been approached by foreign labels?
Leroy Monaheng: Not really but was approached by a few for distribution.

Museke: Congratulations on your Channel O nomination. How do you feel about it?
Leroy Monaheng: Thanx dawg!!!! I feel honored and um happy that I will be carrying the Botswana flag once again.

Museke: What is the inspiration behind and the meaning of the Merathe song?
Leroy Monaheng: Merafhe just simply means different tribes. I really don’t know what inspired me, all I remember is that I wanted to hook up a “tswana” song and the rest just followed. Whenever um in the studio, ideas just follow.

Museke: Some people believe secular artistes should stay away from gospel music and gospel musicians should not collaborate with secular ones. What is your opinion on this?
Leroy Monaheng: In my dance albums I have featured lots of them and I’ve worked on lost of gospel projects, I don’t see any problem with collaborating with them, since lots of talent comes from church. I for one was raised in a Christian family. I thing its just bull.

Museke: Do you also deejay at local clubs or host radio shows If so, which?
Leroy Monaheng: None of the above, just produce and engineer.

Museke: What challenges do you face in the Botswanan music industry?
Leroy Monaheng: The first one has to be our population, its very small, around 1.8 million and sales wise it is not good.

Museke: What is in the future of your music?
Leroy Monaheng: Dawg the future’s just too bright. Now um licensing my music like hot cakes. Um working on my third album and other Dj’s, artists, etc.

Museke: How can Botswanan music expand and sell outside?
Leroy Monaheng: A good distribution company but truly speaking its up to artists as individuals, if they’re producing quality music and hooking up with the write people.

Museke: Have you done jingles and songs for corporate entities? Which ones?
Leroy Monaheng: Dawg that’s my job, that’s what I do everyday. S’ry can’t say the names.

Museke: Do you have any present engagements and works other than music?
Leroy Monaheng: Not really. Its music, music all the way. Anything I do has to work hand in hand with it, just got a management post in some Audio Production Facility.

Museke: What are your hobbies and pastimes?
Leroy Monaheng: I think it has to be watching television, clubbing and programming.

Museke: Do you have a website?
Leroy Monaheng: We working on it now and hopefully it will be up and running in the next two weeks.

Museke: Give us your Parthian shot – last words.
Leroy Monaheng: What can I say???? Work smart, not hard.