CELEB EDITION
Meet Gospel star, Obakeng Sengwaketse
With his powerful, uniquely compelling voice, Obakeng Sengwaketse has been a leading light in the world of Gospel for 14 years now.
The award-winning musician has his sights set on further glory at next month’s BOMU Awards, where he has been nominated in two categories, including the big one, Best Male Artist. Oh, and by the way, he’s single, ladies!
How have you been surviving during these difficult times?
I have been as good as one can be. I have been spending a lot of time in the studio and working on new music.
That’s exciting, so what can we expect?
I will be releasing a new album called New Dawn, which will have 10 songs. As a build up to the actual album release, we have put out a song with Mapetla called ‘Jeso o a Mpitsa’. It is a beautiful song, you should check it out! I am also in studio with Amantle Brown so you can look out for that as well.
You feature twice in the upcoming BOMU Awards - are you bringing the gongs home?
I have been nominated in two categories, which are Best Traditional Gospel Album and Best Male Artist. I mean, I don’t know how the votes will come out but I do know I worked hard and put my all into my work so, yeah, one could say I will bring at least one award home for sure. As for Best Male Artist, I’m so grateful that I’m nominated among the best in the music industry: Vee Mampeezy, William Last and Scar, and I am a Gospel artist, so it will be a very interesting one.
How have you used social media to market your brand?
I can say I utilised social media platforms more than ever before during this Covid-19 phase. I never knew the power of social media until then. Interacting with our followers through live videos helps keep them interested.
And have you experienced the ‘dark side’ of social media yet, i.e. online bullying?
No, not really, and I think it is because I only use social media for positive things. I realised it’s easy to become a victim when you become part of the negativity.
What is the one habit you picked up in the last year?
Farming. I have invested a lot of time into farming projects and I am actually enjoying it.
(21 March - 19 April)
A charming friend or acquaintance could talk you into something this week, Aries. Despite your assumption that you are in control, you may find that you are being emotionally manipulated if you aren’t careful. Don’t let exterior impressions or promises without foundation cause you to do something you are not sure about. Look below the surface, do your due diligence, and then wait a little while before deciding on anything that could be risky or potentially unwise. You may have a crazy but fun idea for an upcoming party or gathering of friends or loved ones. Even if it seems impractical at the moment, it might be a really great idea - so don’t let anyone talk you out of it if you really want to do it. This could be just the type of carefree experience you and others need right now.
(20 April - 20 May)
A message that you need to convey to someone this week might be more easily and more swiftly delivered by someone else. Since you have been dragging your heels on this, Taurus, and you aren’t driven to get to it anytime soon, sending another party to intervene would be easier. But is that really the best course of action? It might not be. You may not have to face this situation because of possible ramifications, but you are the one who is best suited to counter any arguments and explain things rationally. Just bite the bullet, and get it done. You may be thinking about turning down an offer or the chance to do something fun this week because of obligations hanging over your head. You are such a responsible person that anything less might seem wrong to you.
(21 May - 20 June)
There may be a lot of friction and conflict around you at the start of this week, Gemini, but you do not have to become involved in it. Separate yourself mentally and emotionally from anyone or any situation that threatens your peace of mind. You have a lot to do this week that is of great importance, and getting distracted by pointless aggression or aggravating circumstances is both unnecessary and destructive. Someone who comes off as arrogant may put you off because you don’t like this kind of behavior. But sometimes people take on characteristics like this out of fear or insecurity to compensate. If you can, give this person a break and try to give them a chance to show a better side of themselves. You may have trouble being decisive this week, but that might actually turn out to be a good thing.
(21 June - 22 July)
Someone may have turned you down for some request you made recently, and it may have struck you as surprising but certainly as a disappointment. You may be wondering what caused them to let you down in this way, dear Moonchild, but it probably had nothing at all to do with you. This may have had everything to do with this person’s mood in that moment, and their reaction to you was just coincidental. This week, plan a way to approach this person again in a gentle, caring way, and you may get the answer you have been hoping for. An occurrence that seems like a happy coincidence may occur this week for you. You may find yourself in the company of someone you care for and admire, and the timing may be surprising. But there may be more to this than just a coincidence.
(23 July - 22 August)
If you have spent a lot of time running around out and about in recent weeks, Leo, this might be a good time to stick closer to home. The world is your kingdom, of course, but your home is your castle and you could use some of the comforts it offers right now. You may be experiencing stress from outside sources that you can’t control, even though you have been trying. Therefore, sticking to your home base in the days ahead will do you a world of good. You might want to make a few wonderful days of it camped out at home. Make a shopping list and come home with groceries to make your favorite meals, or go out and buy yourself a cozy comforter to snuggle up on the couch. It will be nice to hide away for a few days.
(23 August - 22 September)
You may now be trying to make a commitment to a new way of navigating through life. Perhaps you are trying to be more positive, more hopeful, more assertive - or you are trying to do something else that you believe will make your life richer and happier. It can be hard to make a change like this, but through perseverance, it will eventually become absolutely natural to you. This week, Virgo, dedicate yourself to trying and you will begin to see benefits. Someone in your family may have been bugging you about something for a while now. Perhaps they don’t agree with something you are planning, or they are trying to give you advice or constructive criticism on something they think you are doing wrong. This week it may become even more intense. But don’t take it the wrong way.
(23 September - 22 October)
Keep a notebook handy at all times this week, Libra. You may be working on many things at once, and having a pen and paper to write down your thoughts will not only help you stay organized, but will also help mentally prioritize different tasks and ideas as you go along. Some great ideas may come to you, and having those notes to remind you later will allow you to capture it all. You may find yourself feeling a bit more emotional around the middle of the week. This may have something to do with a communication you receive from someone from your past or because of some memory that comes up in conversation. Whatever the source, though, there is no need to be melancholy.
(23 October- 21 November)
If you wake up first thing at the start of this week feeling especially hopeful and enthusiastic about what is to come, do not question it. You can be cynical at times, Scorpio, but this could be the time to avoid any kind of skepticism. The things you are sensing - positive, hopeful things - are the result of picking up positive vibes of good fortune. Just go with it and enjoy the present. The middle of the week may go very slowly for you, mostly because you have so much to do and much of it may be a bit tedious. But soldier through it, keep your chin up, and keep remembering that vibe you are tapped into. Once you get things under control, you will usher in a new period of positive happenings. You may believe you are in competition with a particular person as you strive for a job or a role that is important to you.
(22 November- 21 December)
You are finally seeing a failed plan with twenty-twenty vision. You have probably spent a lot of time blaming yourself for something that went wrong, feeling bad and wishing things had been different. But there is no room for guilt here, Sagittarius. There was nothing you could have done at that time that could have changed anything. When you receive the gift of understanding, you will know none of it could have been avoided, and you did the best you could. Leave it at that and next time you will have the past experience guide you to do really well. There is someone you would like to get to know better socially, but there may be no time for that right now. That’s okay. But just to be sure you will have the chance later on to learn more about this individual, give them a few good hints that you are interested in doing so.
(22 December- 19 January)
You may start the week with the hopeful feeling that you will be able to work out a long-standing conflict or a controversial issue. However, when you actually attempt to do this, the other party may seem to want nothing more than to argue and fight. And not in debate mode either - they may be up for name-calling and general meanness, for which you have no tolerance, especially right now. Therefore, Capricorn, this is not the time to deal with this individual. Allow them to have their juvenile tantrum by walking away. Showing that you are not going to take it may put them into the right mindset for the proper handling of the issue. Just be patient and wait for the break. Fortune definitely favors the bold where you are concerned in the week ahead.
(20 January - 18 February)
You are someone who believes in compromising when you can to keep the peace. You sometimes will even give up things you really want just to harmonize with others. But this week, Aquarius, you need to stand firm on what you really want. Don’t accept the offer of a compromise if it makes you feel less hopeful. Stick to your guns and you may get everything you want, followed soon after by validation that this was the best way to go. Someone you have been tiptoeing around in the interest of not making waves may need to hear exactly what you have to say. This week, you need to speak up about something that has been bothering you. If you don’t, nothing is going to change. If you do, you can rise to a higher level in a relationship.
(19 February - 20 March)
Family matters may be on your mind from the very beginning of this week, Pisces. That is often the case with you, since you always fill a very large role around your loved ones. Someone may be at a distance right now, probably because of a rift that happened some time ago. You have probably felt very bad about this, but you have not been able to resolve it. Are you really being honest with yourself? You may think that you have done everything possible to iron things out, but that may not be the case. You may have to come up with an explanation or an apology before things can change. Try to work on that. A quirky or eccentric friend may suggest an idea that intrigues you and piques your interest. Follow through on checking it out, especially if the other party isn’t one to be realistic about such things.