For North West–based musician and percussionist Mambo Ntema, African drumming is ancestry, healing and identity woven into rhythm.
“Drumming is a therapeutic, personal and collective rhythm that expresses the inner sense of being human,” Ntema said, describing it as an art form used for “healing, celebration, installation, initiation, prayer, meditation and education.”
Born into a lineage of traditional practitioners from the Wayeyi tribe, with roots tracing to the Veikuhane and Nxanikhwee, Ntema credits his late grandfather, Ntema Saldyibara Sinqaera — a hippo hunter, fisherman, rainmaker and percussionist — as the foundation of his calling.
“He played Rigqhuma, thumb piano and traditional Ngoma drums. I believe that I inherited that from the old man — it runs in the family,” he said, adding that drumming for him is “a calling, a spiritual echo that connects you to the universe in complete wholesomeness.”
Although he has been drumming since his youth, Ntema formally packaged his craft into a cultural enterprise about eight years ago, offering drum circles, traditional performances and AfroJazz experiences across Maun, Kasane and surrounding areas. Every beat, he explains, carries purpose.
“Traditional drums have different sounds with various rhythms and tones for different occasions,” he said, noting that communities historically used drumming to mark harvests, good rains, chieftaincy installations, initiation rites, weddings, rituals and healing ceremonies.
Today, as a cultural entrepreneur, Ntema facilitates participatory drum circles where audiences play alongside him as lead drummer, guided by themed rhythms that reflect specific occasions. He also blends percussion with traditional dance performances and offers beginner drum lessons, while incorporating ancestral rhythms into AfroJazz live band shows.
“In all the drum settings, the lead drummer tells a story that emanates from such drumming styles and rhythms,” he said. “The messages that inspire our drum sessions are driven by hope, faith, love, culture and heritage, lifestyle, nature, conservation and social cohesion.”
Working mainly at corporate events, festivals and tourism establishments seeking what he terms “authentic cultural experiences,” Ntema has observed contrasting audience responses.
International visitors, he said, tend to engage deeply with the meaning behind the rhythms. “They are more interested in the inspiration, technique and effect,” while locally, traditional drumming is often regarded as familiar and less of a novelty.
“A drum and dance entertainment performance is more likely to attract international tourists than locals, who prefer contemporary music,” he explained, adding that corporate audiences are generally more receptive to percussion performances than social gatherings.
Despite this, Ntema believes African percussion remains central to cultural preservation in modern spaces.
“The African percussion plays a pivotal role in preserving African culture as a tool for inspiring social justice, mental health and wellness, cultural expression and cultural exchanges,” he said. He further called for deliberate documentation of drum culture through music compilations, films, books and academic journals, arguing that these should be integrated into mainstream education and heritage discourse.
Raised in Matsaudi and the deeper Okavango Delta, Ntema is largely self-taught, shaped by community folklore, storytelling and traditional dance clubs during his school years. He draws inspiration from Wayeyi and Hambukushu traditions, where drumming is centred on celebration and healing.
In 2014, following the publication of his poetry anthology in the United Kingdom, he acquired his first traditional hand drums from Etsha village craftsmen, before expanding his collection across the Okavango Delta, North East Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mali and Senegal. Since then, he has performed across Europe and parts of Africa.
“This ancestral instrument speaks in its loudest echoes across the world,” he said.
However, the journey has not been without obstacles. Ntema cited limited local investment in arts and culture, strict international regulations on animal skin and wood instruments, and the growing replacement of traditional drums with fiberglass and digital alternatives due to climate change pressures.
“Arts and culture are still not fully explored to enhance their socio-economic value,” he said, expressing hope that regional initiatives such as KAZA TFCA and AfCFTA would ease cross-border movement for cultural practitioners.
Responding to growing demand, particularly from international tourists, Ntema released a 15-track AfroJazz album, Back to Our Roots, in 2025, now available on digital streaming platforms.
Looking ahead, he envisions building a sustainable cultural enterprise that integrates storytelling, theatre, folklore, drum and dance into immersive cultural safari experiences — a model he hopes will empower young people to embrace heritage while creating livelihoods.
“This is a niche market that I am exploring to inspire younger generations to know and embrace their culture, learn artistic skills, create their own employment and sustain our communities,” he said.
His efforts have already gained continental recognition, earning him a Top 5 finalist position in the Championing Sustainability category at the Africa Tourism Leadership Forum and Awards in 2023.
“My performances are paint brushes that strike the heart, mind and soul with colourful energies for mental health, productivity and motivation,” Ntema said, noting that referrals from tourists and corporates have steadily expanded his reach.
He now plans to establish Mambo AfriCultural Camps in Chobe and Maun, aimed at delivering rounded cultural tourism experiences while promoting traditional drumming as a driver of rural employment and sustainable livelihoods.
“I seek to continue forging sustainable partnerships in tourism, arts and culture,” he said, “to promote the traditional drum culture as a sustainable community activity for rural employment and community resilience.”
