THE TELEVISION jobs just keep coming for Tshepo Maseko (pictured), who is back in the game for good. Adding to his contribution on the star-studded drama Saints and Sinners, the charismatic actor also has a job as the new presenter of Ba Kae?, coming to SABC2.
“Ba kae?” is Tshwana for “where are they?” and this show seeks out all the superstars of the past who made history in South Africa. Most of these people are still alive, but no longer in the limelight. Ba Kae? traces them to find out how they are doing today, reminisce a bit about their experiences in their prime and what they think about the state of the industry today.
“Ba Kae? is a tributary show. We pay tribute to all those actors who shaped our lives. As a country, we are developing a habit of honouring people when they are dead. On this show we want to change that as we want to make them feel important,” Maseko said.
The other dynamic that Ba Kae? will bring is proof that when we no longer see certain people on our screens, it does not mean they have left the industry.
“A lot of them are behind the scenes and very few people know that. I think they give a chance to the younger, up-and-coming stars to shine. Yet a lot of them are still highly prominent,” said the host.
Although he has enjoyed all of the interviews so far, Maseko did not shy away from name dropping to say who he had had the most fun with.
“We just spoke to Ray Phiri and you must hear the things he has to say. That guy is deep. If we think we know Ray Phiri through his music, then we don’t know anything. That’s only 10 percent of his genius – and we talk about that on the show. There are guys like Dan Chanda and Papa Penny who are wells of knowledge, too,” Maseko said.
More than trying to simply be a show about veterans of the South African entertainment industry, Ba Kae? is a documentary series that educates the young on material that even Google does not have.
“We are paying our respects to these legends and reminding them that we haven’t forgotten what they contributed to the country. We are saying, ‘we are still giving you the platform to say your piece, even though you are behind the scenes’,” said the host.
More than just bringing out fossilised personalities, Maseko believes there are lessons to be learnt by young people who watch the show.
“We are trying to show the formula that connects the breaking point and success. The problem with today’s kids is that they have the microwave kind of personality. They want to get into the industry today and make it instantly, when the reality is that these things take time. This, in turn, makes it obvious that they don’t understand the discipline that comes with being in this industry and that is why their things don’t last,” Maseko said.
“We are basically trying to teach them that if they take time to hone their craft, once it is out there it will last for ever.
“Ba Kae? basically introduces the older and wiser to the young with solutions on how to succeed in the cut-throat industry,” he said.
That said, the perception some people have about Ba Kae? is that it is a show aimed at people who have fallen on hard times.
However, Maseko rejected this notion.
“I don’t think for any performer there is a thing like a quiet time. During any engagement there is always some plan that you are working on. For instance, I have been doing a youth rehabilitative programme called Sgiela Waar? (meaning “where do we sleep?”). It’s about helping these kids any way we can.
“We take them from the streets and back to their families and rehab where necessary. So I have been working on it with Lucky Khoza and I enjoy it because motivation has always been my first love. Sgiela Waar? takes a lot of my time and if I am not doing anything else I am there. I also do several voice overs so not seeing me on the screen does not mean I am not working,” Maseko explained.
• Ba Kae? airs every Wednesday at 7pm on SABC2.