Dynamites Come In Small Packages
This time we caught up with woman of the moment, Katlego Ntirang who is affectionately known as Dato Seiko.
She is a local artist, with a Bachelor of Degree in motion picture and live performance from AFDA. The 25 year old Tonota native does not only sing but she is also a fine artist and an activist. She started her music journey at a tender age and took it seriously in 2016 when she decided that Music is part of who she is and it’s her life.
In an interview with this publication, Dato Seiko said that she grew up listening to so many music genres and different artists, which made her break the genre limitation glass. “I like to say I am a genre in fluid musician, meaning I am very versatile and you can hear it in my songs,” she said. Dato Seiko also said that she is inspired by different sounds and tries to merge all the different sounds into one song, in short she doesn’t have a specific genre because she doesn’t conform one genre.
According to her, in terms of the content that she writes, she has grown so much in relation to the quality of music that she does now. She has grown abundantly to learn about herself and what she wants to do with her music or how she wants it to have impact in people’s lives. Not only that, but Dato Seiko has also grown so plentifully in terms of her performances and being comfortable on the stage.
Since she joined the music industry, Dato Seiko has released about 5 songs that she was featured on and one song that is from her upcoming EP. So that’s just about six songs that she has worked on in the past year. One may be wondering what the name ‘Dato Seiko’ means. But it is actually a translation of her real name to Japanese. Her real name is Katlego, which is Seiko in Japanese and Dato Seiko means “Given Success”.
When asked on how she is intending to be unique and stand out from other local artists, Dato Seiko said, “The main thing is to be authentic, tell your own stories in your own way and in a way that people relate to it because that way you’re not forcing energy, you’re not forcing anything, everything just comes out as natural as it can be. That is always the intention, to always be myself and always tell my true stories the way I know them.”
She mentioned that one of the main challenges she faced since she started doing music was being an independent artist, meaning that she has to outsource her own financial resources in order to keep herself going. Being an independent artist is quite a huge challenge for Dato Seiko because it puts the process or the progress of her artistry at a halt sometimes especially if there is no proper financial assistance. “For things to move in the world we know that we need money and for us to have better quality in terms of the content that we produce it needs financial assistance, so without the financial assistance it makes it difficult for us to reach our potential,” she added.
One of her main goals has always been to provide for herself through music and provide for her family; and just be secure enough to not be forced into something that she don’t want to do because of financial purposes.
Dato Seiko said she is most definitely willing to work with international artists as there are so many international acts that she looks up to and would love to work with, for example Janelle Monáe, Tash Sultana, Tiwa Savage, Langa mavuso, DJ Zinhle – just to mention a few. The main reason why she would love to work with these people is that they make different music and it would be so beautiful to see how they merge their sounds together to create magic!
When sharing with us the feeling she always has whenever she’s on stage, Dato Seiko replied by saying, “Nerves, I am always so nervous before I perform or during the performance itself, and the reason being that I respect and love what I do so much so that I always want to give a 100%. It’s not something that I take lightly, it’s not something that I take for granted and I most certainly do not take the people who support my work for granted….Nerves are good, nerves are prove that this is important to me.”
As one of the most talented local musicians to emerge out in this country, Dato Seiko’s word to young Batswana who happen to ignore their studies to join music is that, “Education is very important. Education in the sense that, you have to study whatever it is that you love so that you could do it to your best ability with more knowledge. She added by saying that not all of us are gifted in the academia scene and not all of us are good at doing the main subjects such as science and math, but everyone is gifted one way or another, so if you’re a musician take music classes to increase the knowledge that you have right now and improve the quality of your work. But never stop learning.”
Dato Seiko was featured on Motsetserepa’s music video and song, which was a beautiful experience for her. It was a beautiful collaboration because according to her, Motsetserepa is one of the sweetest and hard-working people she has ever came across. So it’s always great to work with people who have a beautiful mindset and a beautiful energy like him.
When questioned on the impact that she would like to make in the music industry of Botswana, she said her aim is to put Botswana on the map and to show how versatile and how super incredibly talented Batswana are. She describes herself as part of a generation that is trying to break boundaries. Her aim is to fly the Botswana flag internationally and get the recognition that Batswana rightfully deserve for the talent that they have. That is what she intends to do, she intends to be a leader of a musical revolution, to create beautiful pieces that are not only for the locals but can be relatable on an international scale.
Having said the above, Dato Seiko shared some word of advice with aspiring artists who would like to see themselves where she is by saying, “Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! Music is literature, you need to write and write and write and recite for you to finally get to where you wanna be. Music is about sharpening your craft every single day, not only when you have shows, but every single day because there’s a lot of room for improvement. Rehearsals help to cultivate the potential in you and they help you to become a better musician or a better songwriter.”
Besides being a musician, Dato Seiko is also an actress and a qualified filmmaker. She also does fine arts; she draws and paints. She’s been a fine artist for years now. Not like other artists was she inspired by anyone to be a musician, it was always within her because she has always loved music.
When asked if she has a mentor, Dato Seiko said, “I wouldn’t necessarily say I have one, but I do have people that are very important in my life, people that I look up to in terms of guidance. I have my mother who is absolutely an incredible woman, she is my superhero, and she is the hardest working woman I know. She’s loving, she’s kind she’s patient, she’s just overall wonderful. And she makes me want to be a better person every single day. There is my second mother Mabu Nteta and she has always been a part of my life, she has taught me so much from being confident to knowing that I have no limitations to what I can do. She has taught me to break boundaries and knock down doors that block me from my dreams. Last but not least, Tefo Paya. he is my former lecture and he has always seen me as this incredible musician, he has put me under his wing for years and taught me so much about the industry and what it takes to be a great performer.”
As a local celebrity, in order to help the community, Dato Seiko does community work as a form of giving back to the society that supports her. She does a lot of volunteer work by volunteering at the school of the deaf and also on weekends she teaches kids music and art, because she believes that it’s her social responsibility to give back to the community that feeds her.
We will just have to wait and see but for now I can say; the future is looking absolutely Bright.
What message do you have for Batswana regarding your music?
My music is very personal in the sense that I talk about my real life stories, so from the songs that you hear, you’re listening to my experiences and listening to my pain, to my joy. You are listening to authenticity, to everything as I experienced it and I hope that you receive it, I love it, just the way I created it.
What is it that people don’t know about Dato Seiko?
A lot of people don’t know that I am allergic to alcohol and smoke, I hate being touched or when people invade my personal space without asking and I am a highly sensitive and emotional person.
My fashion sense is a form of my expression just as I express my feelings through songs, I also express my feelings through my dress code. I grew up as a closed child, so I would use my fashion sense as a way to explore and express who I truly am within.
Are you in a relationship with someone as we speak?
No I am not in a relationship.
Three words that best define you
Scintillating, androgynous and kind
Duncan Sebeso