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Race for the Okavango WINNER of Jackson Wild Original Music Score, The producers of Nkashi
Jackson, WY, September 29, 2023 — The National Geographic Society was recognized with two Jackson Wild Media Awards yesterday during the Jackson Wild Summit in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The Society’s film Nkashi: Race for the Okavango won for “Original Music Score” and National Geographic Explorer Ciril Jazbec won “Short Form – Climate Categories” for his Society-funded film Dream to Cure Water. The Jackson Wild Media Awards are some of the most prestigious in the world of nature filmmaking, and were launched to celebrate excellence and innovation in nature, science and conservation storytelling.
The producers of Nkashi: Race for the Okavango met Koolkat Motyiko for the first time at Seronga at Winela boat Station. It was a day after the 2022 Nkashi Classic. He gave them his Seronga 1 CD featuring hits Ko Seronga and Willie Makhandane. And that’s how Koolkat aka ‘Mr Seronga’ started to work on the film score. He produced six tracks together with Mike Rosen. They were later joined by NEWF Compose Yourself Lab fellows from around Africa (including Marcia Buwa in the picture) to do additional two tracks for the film.
Over 450 films entered the competition this year with over 1,100 category entries from 74 different countries around the world. Finalists were selected by more than 200 international judges who together screened over 1,000 hours of media. The Society was a finalist in two other categories: Healy for “Natural Science – Short Form” and Nkashi: Race for the Okavango for “Global Voices.”
“At the National Geographic Society, we believe in the power of stories and storytelling across the globe,” said Kaitlin Yarnall, the Society’s chief storytelling officer. “This is evident in the grants we give and the projects we produce ourselves, and we’re incredibly proud to be recognized for this work by Jackson Wild.”
Nkashi: Race for the Okavango was filmed in Botswana, in the Setswana language, and in close collaboration with a team of Batswana filmmakers. The film score features six tracks by Motswana musician Thato Kavinja (who goes by the stage name Koolkat Motyiko, also known as Mr. Seronga) and two tracks from the Nature Environment & Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF) Composers Lab, which is part of the Society’s Africa Refocused program. The film was created by the Society’s Impact Story Lab — an award-winning creative unit within the organization — and directed by Sarah Joseph. Joseph serves as a producer, along with Dustin Sylvia and National Geographic Explorer Thalefang Charles. Yarnall, Vanessa Serrao and National Geographic Explorer Steve Boyes serve as executive producers.
“Having grown up in the Delta, I relate with Nkashi: Race for the Okavango on many levels — after all, it’s about my home, Seronga, and our Wayei heritage,” said Kavinja. “In many ways, my music is about returning to one’s roots, and I treasured the opportunity to make music for Nkashi for that very reason. When we tell a Botswana story, it’s even more powerful when it’s set to our home-grown music and instruments that carry the sounds, emotions and melodies of the Delta. I’m grateful to Jackson Wild for recognizing our work in this category, and to my fellow NEWF Composers who joined me in bringing this story to life.”
Nkashi: Race for the Okavango shows the triumphs and challenges of three mokoro (dugout canoe) polers, celebrates Botswana’s cultural heritage, and illuminates the importance of the Okavango Delta — one of the most unique wetlands in the world. The team curated a musical score that engages local musicians and embodies the sounds, rhythms, instruments, and expressions of the Okavango Delta. Kavinja licensed his breakout hit “Ko Seronga” — which is credited with inspiring travel to the Delta — and composed and recorded six additional tracks for the film with his producing partner, Mikael Rosen. Later in the filmmaking process, the team brought a pan-African dimension to the soundtrack by engaging NEWF’s Composers Lab, including musicians from Botswana, South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique, Morocco, Nigeria and France for a multi-day, immersive experience in the Delta. The fellows each brought an instrument from their respective country to show the unique music of different African countries. The film and annual Nkashi Classic race are made possible through the Okavango Eternal partnership between National Geographic and De Beers.
