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The Confluence of Influence [Part 1]

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An uncle of mine used to play at ‘disco’s’ (ko di diskhong) in the late 80s in the little village of Mogobane where I come from, dudes that new him then called him “Bopha”; never really new what that meant but at the time I sort of did gather by the number of people that used to like him that he was kind of cool. Yea, cool he was. From those days on I think my passion and love for music was sparked, my cool cousin Israel “Easy” Joberta (MHSRIP) and his friend Percy Chisela would come into my space years later and further fuel my obsession with music and art by introducing me to the early sounds of funk, soul, jazz and hiphop…a love I still clutch onto, to this day.

These recollections or memorable moments with the people that I loved, looked up to and in many ways idolized are the milieu from which I commence my exploration into the world of ‘influence’, ‘influencers’ and the role they play in stirring up society’s chemical balance in relation to the things they like, enjoy, need, want, hate, admire, respect and care about the most.

I had a conversation a blogger friend of mine, Brilliant Kodie following a tweet we’d both picked up on and both found ourselves rather uncomfortably taken aback by (lost the link but i otherwise would have shared it here). Long story short, a certain brand (no need to mention names here) was launching a new product and as is standard practice now had invited a few social media/blogging high flyers to be part of the event. The tweet we make noted of went on to call a certain individual a social media influencer, quote on quote “social media influencer X at our Y product launch”. For me this begs the question, “what exactly is influence?” and further gets me wanting to interrogate and understand why at all brands seek to use influence as part of their online media mix or tactics. The quoted statement had me a little uneasy for some reason; as innocent and as well intended as it might have been, i felt at the point at which it came across my timeline that something was awfully going of the rails. My main angst came from the labeling of an individual as something that their trade and action online actually results in – influence; it was as though being a ‘social media influencer’ was a full on career (there’s a huge possibility that it is now, somewhere in the world) versus being a descriptor to the outcome.

I have an acute interest in the domain of influence both as an individual who lives in world where there’s so much influence that goes around, as well as a custodian to a few brands wherein in my work I have the responsibility to advice on engagements with such individuals. My uncle was the first notable brand that I thought exuded the type of ‘swaggu’ that had many a village boy aspiring to be like him – handsome young man, lady killer, red 80’s car, superstar soccer player and a fashion sense to match, I’d say he was real instrumental in my view.

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So what does the modern day picture of influence look like? Perhaps the question that I should be asking is what this phenomenon is, with a view to determine the inner-workings of it’s form, what it’s lifeblood is, how exactly we can harness it’s power and exactly where were can rightfully place it in the larger operating domain. Influence to me goes beyond the platform types that this generation often connects on, beyond stereotypes and environments that particular demographics are exposed to at a given time. It’s a result of an experience with a moment; a person that inspires you (sticking to the positive, because friends can be bad influences *chuckles*), a moment or a-ny-thing that stands out in our own lives. Music is a huge influence/influencer; just take a look back at what P-Side, Mr. T, Vee Mampeezy, HsP, Eric Ramco, Da Vet Crew, Lords of the Ghetto, Uncanny Sess, Culture Spears, Maxy, Mr. O, Dj Sly, Easy B, Dj Buns and all of urban/popular culture did for a whole generation, our generation. That amount of influence is immense and spans whole communities and is simply beyond measure because we can’t quantify it.

Flip the script on this coin – we’ve got influence coming from captains of industry, young entrepreneurs, businesses that speak to us, sports stars, family, media, politicians, education and way more. Queue in social media and we almost immediately have the all the bolts, wrenches, spanners, spare wheels and everything that gets this vehicle moving giving massive opportunity to everyone. The Internet is the freedom square and it doesn’t get anymore democratic than that when it comes to what type of content people will gravitate towards and just who will rise to the top as the most watched.

And rise they have!!! The fashion, travel and styling fraternity have enjoyed the lion’s share of work and public recognition in recent memory when one thinks influence and the social media space. As somebody that plies their trade on the internet space, if feel it’s necessary to acknowledge people like Kaone Kario, ATI, Mothusi Lesolle, Nature Inger, Tsholo Dikobe, Uyapo Ketogetswe, Dramaboi, Brillian Kodie, Thapelo Letsebe, Faded Gang, Tumie Nthutang, Thuto Sekate, Botocy and the entire wolf pack in BW that is and has been coming for everything. This is by no means a name dropping party but to make the point here I must continue to say what Thalefang Charles, Sasa Klaas, Lesego ‘Leshie Love Song’ Nchunga, Zeus, Gwen Isaacs, Loapi Events, Kabo Olesitse, Veezo, Mjamaica, Tonderai Tsara, Team Ideas Expo, Intellect G, Ban T, Kabelo Binns, Drew Chadhall, Ozi F Teddy, Jam for Brunch, Naked Soul Sessions, Bang Gae, All Kasi, The Room Sessions, Hub Music Series, The Jazz Exchange to name but a few have done in getting conversations started, setting things in motion – inducing actions, influencing things is quite remarkable.

With all this at play, there’s bound to come a point where brands want to get involved in all this fanfare. And who can blame them, attention is everything in marketing and engagement is even an more inviting incentive. In this day in age brands and micro-sources of influence are inherently interlinked and are bound to find common ground. The relationships have to be gotten right from the onset, because getting involved in and coming up with content like the post I discussed earlier is not the sort of thing that I’d personally rubber stamp.

So hello there influential individual, how have you been. I’d like to hear from you on this. People have questions around your craft outside of the label. So who is the modern day influencer, who determines that you get to be an ‘influencer’ and at what point? Why, how do you know, how do we know? What makes up the little nuggets of influence that you command? How do we know when you are influencing us? What is the right way to get value out of the influencer conundrum/relationship? Whats works for you? What doesn’t work for you?

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My view is that we first off need to recognize each other for who and what we are and be complementary in our relationships – whether at the end of the day I’m a mere suppliers of a service or not. Part of the challenge is that brands struggle with the balance of power meaning most of the time when two parties get involved, they more often than not cannot shake hands as equals (I’m the pond, you’re the fish) resulting in instances where people with follower-ships are subjected to being simple influential individuals speak on their behalf of brands rather than doing work than is aligned to what it is that they stand for. I’ll be writing soon again about this subject, in the meantime do share you feedback. Let’s spark something!

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Botswana Society for Jazz Education to celebrate International Jazz Day on the 30th April

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On April 30, the world will celebrate International Jazz Day in recognition of jazz as a force for peace, intellectual dialogue, and cooperation. Since 2017, the Botswana Society for Jazz Education has been hosting this celebration here in Gaborone. The Society is proud to announce that it will be hosting a special International Jazz Day celebrations concert on the 30th of April 2023 at Showcase Piazza, Molopo Crossing. The event is part of a global celebration of jazz music, which is celebrated annually on April 30th.

The concert will feature a lineup of world-renowned jazz musicians, including Bhudaza Mapefane, CAFACA, Mpho Sebina, The Fleek band, BOSJE Big band, WDP, Grow to Black collective, Dj Jembe Soul, and Dj Jazzman. They will be performing a mix of classic jazz standards and original compositions, showcasing the versatility and creativity of this beloved musical genre.

“We’re thrilled to be hosting this event in Gaborone,” said Ms. Akhutleleng Kekwaletswe, the chairperson of Botswana Society For Jazz Education. “Jazz is a universal language that transcends borders and cultures, and we’re excited to bring people together through this shared love of music.”

In addition to the concert, there will be a range of other activities and events taking place throughout the day right from the 25th of April, including workshops, masterclasses, jam sessions, and panel discussions. These events are open to the public and provide an opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the joy of jazz music. discussions. These events are designed to bring together musicians, fans, and educators from around the world to share their love of jazz music and to explore its rich cultural heritage.

Tickets for the International Jazz Day celebrations concert are available now and can be purchased at Liquorama at Riverwalk, Molapo Crossing, Middle star, BOSJE office or at the door on the day of the event. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of one of the world’s most beloved musical genres!

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This year’s International Jazz Day celebrations are being held in partnership with Urban Grind, and we are thrilled to have their support in bringing this event to life. We are also grateful for the support of Kingdom Arts Academy whose generous contributions have helped to make this year’s celebrations possible.

We invite you to join us in celebrating International Jazz Day and the power of music to bring people together and bridge cultural divides. Whether you’re a lifelong jazz fan or just discovering this vibrant art form for the first time, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

For more information , please visit our social media pages, or contact:Akhutleleng Kekwaletswe, Chairperson, Botswana Society For Jazz Education. Her contact information is as follows:

Cell Phone Number: 72234740 Email: akhutleleng@gmail.com.

Thank you for your continued support of jazz music and its role in promoting peace, diversity, and cultural exchange around the world.

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