George Swabi

George Swabi is a renowned artist from Botswana whose popular folklore song ‘Bagammangwato’ has been played on Radio Botswana for more than 25 years. The song created a large following for him but ‘Tsa ku Nata’, ‘Ke Nale Modisa’, ‘Fatshe je ja selelo’, among others, were also hits that contributed to his fame. Swabi’s love for music started in the early 1960s when he was using motontonyane - a home-made guitar.

As of July 2016, he had not recorded an album but his song ‘Bagammangato’ cemented his name among legions of music fans. This saw him touring several countries and entertaining several dignitaries. He represented Botswana in England in 1980 with the song ‘Bagammangwato’. He has travelled to countries such as Italy, Scotland, and Finland and stayed in Brookston for six months, courtesy of the government.

It was during his music endeavors that Swabi came into contact with Taolo Moshaga whom he rates highly amongst all the musicians in the country. He received the presidential certificate of honor from President Lt Gen Seretse Khama Ian Khama.

Swabi who composes and produces his own music, finds it hard to collaborate with other artistes, especially the young ones.