Today my heart is full.
Waking up to see Botswana Daily News share my story and my return with Sephonono is one of those moments I will treasure for a long time. As an artist, you dream of your music finding its way into people’s lives—but when your own country’s paper of record pauses to reflect on your journey, it feels like a warm embrace from home.
I am deeply grateful to the Arts & Culture team and everyone at Daily News who took the time to listen, ask thoughtful questions, and frame this article with such care. You captured what Sephonono means to me: a coming‑of‑age project—grounded in the soil that raised me, shaped by our rhythms and languages, and offered with reverence.
Why Sephonono matters
This eight‑track project is a celebration of becoming—of womanhood, craft, and rootedness. It honors the choir stands that shaped my ear, the elders who taught me to hold a note and a promise, and the bandmates who keep nudging me to be brave. It’s Afro‑jazz with a storyteller’s heart: grooves to make you move, melodies to make you feel, and lyrics that carry the small, sacred truths of everyday life.
Each song has its own doorway:
- Some are drum‑led celebrations—bright, sunlit, and joyfully insistent.
- Some are quiet prayers set to harmony.
- Some are letters to the younger me, reminding her that patience, faith, and work will always keep time.
The village behind the voice
No one makes music alone. I’ve been blessed to work with gifted musicians and producers from Botswana and across the region—people who bring mastery, generosity, and deep respect for the song. To my band, my engineers, my creative team, and everyone who touches the stage and the studio: ke a leboga. You’ve poured your art and your hearts into this project, and I hear it in every bar.
To my family—my anchor—and to the community that has welcomed me back so warmly: thank you for believing, waiting, and walking with me. Your messages, your reposts, your cheers in the crowd… they’re the wind behind this sail.
Closing with gratitude
To Botswana Daily News: thank you for shining a light on my music and for the care you put into telling our country’s arts stories. To everyone reading this—artists, fans, elders, and dreamers—thank you for letting Sephonono be part of your day. I carry your encouragement into every rehearsal, every studio session, and every stage.
Here’s to the songs we’ve shared and the stages still to come.
Ke a leboga, Botswana Daily News
— Nnunu
