Like most kids in Botswana, Skeat grew up listening to a lot of kwaito and South African pop, a lot of gospel
and Christian music, and as in most places in Africa, he was also exposed to hefty doses of Congolese music. It
is only natural for him to combine these influences into what has become one of Botswana's dominant music styles today, kwaito kwassa. Kwaito as in... kwaito, kwassa as in kwassa kwassa, or ndombolo, or
soukous, or Congolese rumba... depending on your age bracket!

Skeat hails from Palapye, a small village three hours outside of Gaborone, Botswana's capital. Not exactly a major music hub on the African map, yet Palapye is where Skeat met Moemdi Ramogapi, who runs Ruff Riddims studios, and produced Skeat's debut. Together they conceived Basimanyana Mamela Meropa, which is a great introduction into the sounds of Botswana today. You can hear the influence of Skeat's childhood days,
singing with a choir all over Botswana, on tracks like Basimanyana and Ke Na Le Modisa. You can also hear the direct influence of South African music on kwaito tracks such as Meropa or Re Ikektlile. But what we think are the best gems here are the combinations of
Congolese guitars with kwaito beats. Tracks like the hit Dumelang - hello in Tswana, Botswana's national language - Relela or Mama Le Papa, are sure to make you get up and lose some calories... So indulge! Add Botswana to your music map! Practice your Tswana skills!