MOMO OF OULE FAME REMEMBERED

Of the most famous musicians that Batswana have ever embraced, Momo Mohamed had etched himself an eternal place in the hearts of the people.

Amongst a plethora of eulogies to the fallen giant, who took his last breath on Monday October 5 after being taken ill to the hospital, are that he was such a rare talent. Just a few hours after Momo passed on, local artistes paid tribute to a man they considered immensely gifted and with undying love for music. Famed for his all-time favourite hit song Oule, Momo proved to be quite an unselfish person who was willing to help grow Botswana’s musical talent. He originated from the Island Archipelago of Comoros, but would in the late 90s find a home in Botswana.As a symbol of musical success, Momo was a typical man who rose from humble and doubt-filled origins in his native Comoros to come to stamp his will and influence among Batswana.As lamentations steadily mount in various musical quarters to remember the fallen musical titan, one’s mind jogs to a few years ago when he dropped an album that just fell short of becoming a national anthem, Oule. Popularised by Kassav, a Caribbean band formed in Guadeloupe in 1979, the song shot Momo to stardom after spending some years as a closed book at the then Gaborone Sun, where he was engaged as an in-house entertainer. “I had a problem of identifying the right talent for our guests and Momo provided that upon our first meeting. After that we never looked back. He was just great in what he was doing, probably because he studied music as a career.One such talent that Momo worked closely with was the self-acclaimed master lead guitarist, Kapenda Katuta. It was through the deftness of Katuta on the chords that Momo put together the fast paced, yet soul soothing instrumental song, Go tla siama from Walala Wa Sala album. Ironically a day before Momo passed on, Katuta had sent him a request on Facebook as they were to work on an album together in the near future.

Momo was quite versatile and his first album came as a result of experimenting. He always struck a balance between any genre; either popular or classical music Momo as someone who appreciated talent and was ready to work with upcoming artistes. May his soul rest in peace.