Biography
The Artist
A multi-award-winning Botswana vocalist who has spent about 27 years turning Setswana lyricism into Afro-jazz and soul, from cabaret rooms to gala stages.
Kearoma Rantao
Kearoma Rantao is a multi-award-winning Afro-jazz and soul vocalist and performer from Botswana, with a public career spanning about 27 years. Her early work was as a lead singer in an Afro-pop group, followed by cabaret and hotel performances across Botswana from around 2000.
By the mid-2000s she was recording and working in live jazz, forming and performing with ensembles including Women of Jazz Botswana, and she is a member of Kalahari Roses. Her catalogue holds both solo and collaborative work, from the early album Monate to Tales from Botswana, recorded with musicians from Germany and Ireland.
Her debut solo Afro-jazz album When the Music Plays arrived in 2012, followed by Ina Lebe - Ke a Roma and the single Botshelo in 2024, the gender-based violence awareness single Keledi Marameng, and the eight-track album Zambezi Soul, launched in August 2026 at a gala evening at Avani Hotel and Resort in Gaborone.
She is a multiple BOMU award winner, including Best Jazz Album and Best Female, an AFRIMMA nominee for Best Female Southern Africa, and a Basadi in Music Awards nominee in South Africa. Beyond music she is a fashion entrepreneur behind Cheri Fashions.
Career figures
- Years of performing
- 27
- Albums released
- 4
- BOMU award winner
- Multi
- Countries performed in
- 3
Music with meaning
Beyond the stage
Gender-based violence awareness
Keledi Marameng was written and released as part of the national conversation on gender-based violence.
Women in jazz
A founding force behind Women of Jazz Botswana and a long-standing member of Kalahari Roses.
Charity and community
Years of fundraising performances supporting underprivileged children, mothers and community projects.
Journey
Milestones along the way
1999
First stages
Begins performing as a lead singer in an Afro-pop group, learning the craft in front of live audiences.
2000s
Cabaret years
Cabaret and hotel residencies across Botswana build the phrasing and stamina behind the voice.
2008
Monate
An early album under Black Money Makers, alongside collaborative work including Tales from Botswana.
2012
When the Music Plays
Her debut solo Afro-jazz album arrives, following ensemble work with Women of Jazz Botswana.
2024
Ina Lebe - Ke a Roma
A new album and the single Botshelo reach streaming platforms worldwide.
2026
Zambezi Soul
An eight-track album launched at Avani Hotel and Resort, with Keledi Marameng carrying a GBV awareness message.