I just spent more time than my boss wishes that I did on YouTube watching the best guitar playing I’ve ever seen. Without a slide, Botswana’s Ronnie produces multi-layered sounds — swishing the back of his hand between the frets as he strums with his right-hand.

Based in Gaborone, Botswana YouTube user Bokete7 has uploaded video of this virtuoso for all the world to see, and it’s gone viral. He explained:

“Ronnie Moipolai from Kopong village in the Kweneng district 50 km west of the capitol Gaborone. He is 29 years old and goes around the shebeens selling and playing his songs for 5Pula each (80dollarcents). He learned guitar from his now late father, has 3 brothers that also play guitar (KB is one of them), has also a big sister and plenty of kids in the yard. Nobody has a formal job and his mother sells Chibuku beer and firewood they get from the bush trying to make ends meet.”

Kaki King, you’ve got a competitor…

Here’s Ronnie’s quartet:

Photo Credit: YouTube