Lucas Ledwaba is seduced by the beautiful artistry of villagers celebrating life through song and dance. It’s the day of the Diturupa Carnival. Diturupa is a Setswana word borrowed from the European word “troupes”. Pictures: Lucas Ledwaba/City Press. Above: People line up along the Makapanstad village road, drawn by the boisterous singing and drumming from a dance troupe.

The spectators cheer, whistle, clap and ululate as a marching group of female troupes dressed in white shirts and shoes, red skirts and berets approaches.

Behind them, a band of men wearing dresses beat small, handmade cowhide drums called tempedi to accompany the melodic singing of the women.

The women’s lyrics, in Setswana, warn against disrepecting elders and trying to make up for this by offering sacrifices of cattle after they pass on.

The men in a military uniform parade on the road carrying toy pistols and rifles.

The troupes come from different sections of the village and each year descend on the Bakgatla ba Mosetlha tribal office in the village centre.

They march like soldiers, dance like pantsulas and sing like angels.