DoubleUp Goes International
DoubleUp born “Kabelo Lucky Matome” is a talented, enthusiastic and humble hailing from Tobane village in the eastern part of Botswana about 20 km from the copper/nickel mining town of Selebi-Phikwe. The 27 year old Thukwi le Mala hit maker was born into a family of two, which is him and his younger sister and he was raised by his mother most of his life whom he gets this talent from. He recently signed a deal with Ambitious Entertainment in South Africa and dropped another song called Nthapelele which is also worth an award. With his creative and crafty way of expressing his escapade in Setswana, indeed DoubleUp remains the best artist and there is a lot that needs to be heard from his voice as the artist is ready to make more hits.
How did the deal in being signed by Ambitiouz Entertainment come out?
I got scouted by the CEO of Ambitiouz Entertainment Mr Kgosi Mahumapelo through my first breakout single dubbed “Peke Peke”. Then he came to Botswana to look for me and he made contact and everything, from there it was a smooth run.
Which of your songs sold you best since you joined the music industry?
The song which made a huge impact in my Music career is “Tontobeletsa”.
Tell us about the challenges you have come across since you became an artist
The most challenging thing about being an artist in Botswana is the unavailability of platforms to present your talent to the audience, especially when you come from outside Gaborone to come and pursue a career in the music industry. The other thing is that most influential artists in the country don’t want to give talented upcoming or potential talent the space to shine, there is a lot of bad energy among creatives in the country which hinders the potential collaborative creativity.
You have good music, what genre do you sing?
Afro Pop fused with RnB.
There was a post about you from one of your followers asking Batswana to give you support by booking you for events, tell us about it?
The music business in Botswana does not go according to talent, it just depends on who you know. So the lesser your connections the lesser your bookings.
Has the said post somehow helped you in terms of growth?
Not really! My talent, hard work and God’s grace got me this far.
Your talent is finally recognized in a foreign country, how do you feel about it?
I am genuinely excited about this new chapter in my life, it came unexpectedly and as a dream come true for me.
Now, tell us what does the future hold for you?
I honestly want my craft to do wonders in my life, for me to be able to create a platform for others to follow.
Tell us about the challenges you have come across since you became an artistThe most challenging thing about being an artist in Botswana is the unavailability of platforms to present your talent to the audience, especially when you come from outside Gaborone to come and pursue a career in the music industry. The other thing is that most influential artists in the country don’t want to give talented upcoming or potential talent the space to shine, there is a lot of bad energy among creatives in the country which hinders the potential collaborative creativity.
You have good music, what genre do you sing?
Afro Pop fused with RnB.
There was a post about you from one of your followers asking Batswana to give you support by booking you for events, tell us about it?
The music business in Botswana does not go according to talent, it just depends on who you know. So the lesser your connections the lesser your bookings.
Has the said post somehow helped you in terms of growth?
Not really! My talent, hard work and God’s grace got me this far.
Your talent is finally recognized in a foreign country, how do you feel about it?
I am genuinely excited about this new chapter in my life, it came unexpectedly and as a dream come true for me.
Now, tell us what does the future hold for you?
I honestly want my craft to do wonders in my life, for me to be able to create a platform for others to follow.
What do you promise Batswana since you will be working in South Africa?
I promise to simply do my best and fly the Botswana flag as high as possible.
Your music is composed in Setswana language only, why did you choose to do it?
I feel like to me to be able to relate more with people is for me to express myself in my native language.
Are you planning to relocate to South Africa anytime soon?
My career at the moment forces me to be closer to my service providers.
What else do you want to share with us about you?
I would like to ask Batswana to rally behind me, and I promise to bring the best out of me to represent the country in a fruitful manner.
What’s your opinion on the growth of music industry in Botswana compared to foreign?
The growth of the Botswana music industry is well behind because for example, our country does not even have a zip code for us to be able to monetize our platforms to be able to make money through streams. So it says a lot about our mileage as a country in promoting our arts and crafts.
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians who want to be like you?
I would like to encourage any aspiring artist to really put in quality work into their craft and to always surround themselves with people who add value into their career because music is a business so the people around are the ones who can either break you or make you.
Are there any gigs lining up for you so far, both in Botswana and South Africa?
Yes of course, I am a very big deal right now…so the demand is very high.
Is there any local/international artist you are willing to work with on your album or to share the stage with?
Locally it has to be the Talented Lerofo and A.T.I. but internationally it has to be Wave Ryder and Burna Boy.
It is without a doubt that Botswana at the moment doesn’t help to empower their talent as much as they should until they are discovered internationally, why that?
I think the economy and Government does not recognize music as a revenue generating commodity, thus little attention and resources are payed to music as a whole.
Do you think there could be more out of this industry than there already is had there less limits?
Yes, the arts and crafts in Botswana could have a better impact in the lives of creatives and the economy if it was facilitated well both by the parastatals and government.
What do you reckon to be done in changing the way talent is handled in Botswana?
I reckon that more attention should be paid to the creative industry as a whole to enable creatives to be more productive thus yielding better results and creatives should invest quality services in their crafts for the outside world to take them seriously.
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Duncan Sebeso