The song Cecilia (Ka Bala 7 A Ntse A Bala 1), 2016?, by Otlogetswe Makasu, is an appreciation of teachers’ contribution to the development of society and, fundamentally, laments about some challenges teachers face. Challenges such as dealing with students with learning disabilities, who could fail to comprehend learning material beyond Standard 1.
While Otlogetswe also skillfuly adopted humour and some mockery in the song, I think he encourages the listener to appreciate teachers and professions teachers contribute in making, especially the often taken for granted jobs such as women selling sweets, snacks, cigarettes and nzamele airtime at the bus rank.
Otlogetswe, hinting that teachers’ work is insufficiently valued, begins the song with:
“Mathichara a a duelwe…
Ka re tiro e ba e dirang banna
Ka re tiro e tona thata banna”
He then cleverly makes a reference to politicians, lawyers, presidents, soldiers, jail guards, security guards as products of teachers. And then continues: “Re na le basadi ba nzamela – dikgato tsa mathichara banna!” Women such as Cecilia, whom — unlike the aforementioned professions — the song then pay much attention to her job and expand on what, perhaps, could have been the root cause to her circumstances.
The Cecilia song is a very important social commentary that will always be relevant. I think Otlogetswe wanted to draw some attention to learning disabilities. And he uses Cecilia, his Standard 1 classmate who could not proceed beyond Standard 1, as a metaphor to illustrate his point.
In addition, the mockery part of the song alludes to how students — such as Cecilia — are often ridiculed by society despite also contributing to the country’s development: “Ka re 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 a ntse a bala 1!”
A lesson packaged as entertainment, I think.
Blessing Kgosi e tsile Kgasa 