Veteran traditional and reggae musician, Gregory "The guitar man" Rangolo's latest offering, Rolitshana, is doing very well in the music industry.
The straight-talking musician from Tshitereke village, which is situated next to Donald Fraser Hospital, cut his teeth in the music industry when he released his very first album, called Tshamuninga, in 1995.
"Within a few months after its release, it was being played on most radio stations. That encouraged me to work on my second album, called Vhamutivhili. It also made an impact in the music industry as music promoters started inviting me to play at music shows all over the Limpopo Province," he said. In 2009, he released another album, called Vhahashi, which also did well in the music industry.
His latest album, which was released in December last year, is called Rolitshana, which literally means, "if couples no longer love each other, they must agree that they are done, and stop fighting and killing each other".
"This is my best album to date. It is addressing issues of gender-based violence. A lot of people are dying today in the name of love. We must all agree that if love flies out of the window, it is done. We have to learn to let go. What is the reason for killing someone who has decided to move on with their life?" he asked.
Rangolo said that for people to separate when things are not looking good in their relationship is better than to wait until they kill each other. "As artists, we have the duty of educating and entertaining the community. It is therefore my singular responsibility to warn people against the danger of holding on to the myth that pains helps to make love stronger. If it is not working, call it off when you are still alive," he added.
Rangolo said that his elder brother, Mofolo Rangolo, who is also a musician, had taught him how to play the guitar when he had been about seven.
When asked about his long dreadlocks, he said that he had last cut his hair in 1993 when he had joined the Rastafarian religion. "Like Samson in the Bible, my strength lies in my hair," he concluded.