Tiisetso Makhele says only a few artists understand the powerful relationship between music and culture.
The meteoric rise of Basotho lyricists Selimo Thabane (wa Lekhooakhoa) and Relebohile Monapathi (wa Letebele) artistically known as Sannere, signifies an important development for cultural activists and scholars.
Whilst music is generally about rhythm, tempo and pitch, it is practically impossible to draw a divide between music and culture. These two artists have been able to innovatively unite music and culture, and this is doing wonders for their careers.
Basotho are a spiritual people, who appreciate the complex interrelationships between nature and human beings, God (Tlatlamatjholo) and the ancestors (Badimo). Be they in Lesotho, Africa or in the diaspora, Basotho are spiritual and music, well-designed music, has been able to quench their spiritual thirst, through artists like Famole, Mants’a Khomo Ea Koti, etc.
So, whether an artist is in Famo, Afropop or rap music, his or her ability to penetrate into stardom has always been influenced by leaning on culture to relay messages and content. This includes, but is not limited to, narrating the relationship between nature (rivers, seas, wildlife, livestock, seasons, stars, etc) with man, man and God, man and ancestors, royalty (Morena Moshoeshoe/Letlama), etc.
Bashana ba heso tshwarang molamu o tiye. Selimo wa Lekhooakhoa ha ba hlola o ba hlabele kgomo hoba ke Molimo o nko e metsi. Sannere monna ho hlakile hore o hodisitswe ke madingoana, ebile o ngwana peo ya Letlama.
Tiisetso Makhele is an African Marxist and a cultural activist who writes what he likes.
