Famo

Last updated

Famo is a type of music from the African country of Lesotho, consisting of singing accompanied by the accordion, a drum, and occasionally a bass. It originated in the drinking dens of migrant workers relaxing after working in mines in the 1920s and is now a popular form of music for Sesotho speakers.

Contents

Characteristics

As a very popular form of music in Lesotho, [1] famo consists of male or female singing and ululations. Instrumental support comes from an accordion, a drum and a bass. Songs often refer to urban life, and female singers can use their singing to challenge their male counterparts. [1]

History

The introduction of Basotho migrant labour from Lesotho into South African mines in the 1920s led to the development of famo. [2] It originated in the setolotolo bow songs that the menfolk would sing as they walked along, alternating between the bow to fill in the chorus and the voice as the lead part. [1] With the introduction of European instruments, the korosetina (concertina) and koriana (accordion) were adopted. The concertina was initially favoured as it could be played whilst singing and was easily carried but the accordion was eventually favoured for its bigger sound which was better for dancing. [1]

The music and singing combination of famo was performed in the shebeens where the workers drank and chatted and also down in the mines whilst they toiled. [1] The name famo came from the phrase ho re famo, to flare the nostrils or to throw up one's garments. [2] The dancing girls who had followed the men to South Africa and entertained them in the shebeens perfected a dance with their short skirts that allowed them to artfully flick up the skirt, exposing their naked rear. [3] The performers were careful not to wear underwear. [2]

In 1963 reforms to South African regulations meant the repatriation of thousands of women and famo performers and shebeen danceers were forced back to Lesotho. [3] This encouraged the creation of ensembles that were rounded out by a drummer. The moropa drum they used was a 20-litre tar can topped by a piece of inner tube as the drumhead, with manyenenyene, metal bottle tops or jangles, to provide a jingling alternative to the thump of the drum. [2] [3] The drumsticks themselves were made from slices of tire. [2] [3]

Since the 1920s music companies had been looking for African music they could commercialise. [2] What turned the music of the shebeens into a national music for the Basotho was the rise of major recording personalities amongst the famo ensembles. [3]

Artists

In the late 1960s the first major recording artists to make a living from famo were Tau ea Matšekha (Lion of Matšekha, Matšekheng/Habo Matšekha is an area in Northern Lesotho) made up of Forere Motloheloa (accordionist) and Apollo Ntabanyane (vocalist/composer). [3] The pair met and honed their musical act in the mines and shebeens but their success with albums such as Peete Kea Falla (Peete's Place I'm Quitting) released by EMI led Ntabanyane to leave and set up his own group. In 1974 he even declared himself "King of Famo" at a concert at Maseru's Airport Hotel that was attended by Her Majesty 'MaMohato, wife of Lesotho's King Moshoeshoe II. [3] Later successful artists include David Sello Motaung's Tau ea Linare in the 1980s [2] and southern Lesotho's Mahosana Akaphamong. [3] It was hard for many to give up their normal jobs and make a living from famo performances and records, but some shebeens would offer paid competitions for female singers, the most renowned being Puseletso Seema, a veteran with 40 years of performance experience. [3]

Mosotho Chakela is a current star in famo music, having performed at the Macufe Mangaung African Cultural Festival [4] [5] and Morija Arts & Cultural Festival. In 2006 Chakela was awarded a South African Traditional Music Award for best musician in the famo music category. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesotho</span> Country in Southern Africa

Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. As an enclave of South Africa, with which it shares a 1,106 km (687 mi) border, it is the only sovereign enclave in the world outside of the Italian Peninsula. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the highest peak in Southern Africa. It has an area of over 30,000 km2 (11,600 sq mi) and has a population of about two million. It is the largest enclaved country in the world. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. The country is also known by the nickname The Mountain Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economy of Lesotho</span>

The economy of Lesotho is based on agriculture, livestock, manufacturing, mining, and depends heavily on inflows of workers’ remittances and receipts from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU). Lesotho is geographically surrounded by South Africa and is economically integrated with it as well. The majority of households subsist on farming. The formal sector employment consist of mainly female workers in the apparel sector, while male migrant laborers work primarily either as miners in South Africa for 3 to 9 months or in the employment of the Government of Lesotho (GOL). Half of the country's population work in informal crop cultivation or animal husbandry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concertina</span> Free-reed musical instrument

A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It consists of expanding and contracting bellows, with buttons usually on both ends, unlike accordion buttons, which are on the front.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sotho people</span> Bantu ethnic group of Southern Africa

The Sotho, also known as the Basotho, are a prominent Sotho-Tswana ethnic group native to Southern Africa. They primarily inhabit the regions of Lesotho and South Africa.

The music of Turks and Caicos Islands is best known for its ripsaw music. It is accompanied by an array of instruments, including maracas, triangles, box guitar, conga drums, goat and cowskin drums, accordion, concertina and, most prominently and uniquely, the carpenter saw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Lesotho</span>

Lesotho is a Southern African nation surrounded entirely by South Africa. The largest ethnic group is the Basotho. The Basotho culture is immersed in musical traditions.

Maskandi is a form of Zulu folk music, originally associated with migrant workers, that is evolving with South African society. Thought to be pioneered by Phuzushukela. Often characterised by a picking guitar style which draws on a variety of historical influences it also has an important social function with players being given sanction to publicly criticise powerful people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Hole</span> Open-pit and underground mine in Kimberley, South Africa

The Kimberley Mine or Tim Kuilmine is an open-pit and underground mine in Kimberley, South Africa, and claimed to be the deepest hole excavated by hand, although this claim is disputed by Jagersfontein.

Boeremusiek is a type of South African instrumental folk music. Its original intent was to be an accompaniment to social dancing at parties and festivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morija Arts & Cultural Festival</span> Annual event held in Morija, Lesotho

Morija Arts & Cultural Festival, also known as Morija Festival, is an annual event held in Morija, a large village in the Maseru District of Lesotho. This hugely successful event is coordinated by the Morija Museum & Archives, with support from many groups including, the Royal Family and the Government of Lesotho.

The Mapalé is an Afro-Colombian and Ecuadorian style of dance that was brought over by the slaves and representing the fishermen after a long day of work. Its name comes from the Cathorops mapale (fish) when they are out of the water. The dance moves are compared with the agility and strength of those who are performing it. From the clothing to the precise moves of the hips and shoulders. The body movements during the dance are swiftly made to follow the beating of the drums and represent the fish out of the water (men), while the women are the sea.

<i>Lesiba</i>

The term lesiba refers to a class of "unbraced mouth-resonated bow[s]" with a flattened quill attached to a long string, stretched over a hard stick, acting as the main source of vibration. Holding both hands around the quill, positioned without touching just inside the lips, the player sharply inhales or exhales against it, creating vibration in the string. This "produces a powerful buzzing sound," usually in short notes on a small, limited scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish traditional music</span> Genre of folk music that developed in Ireland

Irish traditional music is a genre of folk music that developed in Ireland.

Mokete Shadrack Chakela, more commonly known as Mosotho Chakela or just Chakela, was born 1963 in Mafeteng, Lesotho, in Southern Africa. He was a cultural music singer in a popular Lesotho musical tradition called famo. Chakela died 5th January 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–Lesotho relations</span> Bilateral relations

The People's Republic of China and Lesotho maintain historical, political, economic, trade, aid, healthcare and migration connections.

The Bobirwa Subdistrict is a jurisdiction in Botswana. It is populated by the Babirwa (Ba-Birwa) people who came from Transvaal in present-day South Africa.

Sesotho poetry is a form of artistic expression using the written and spoken word practiced by the Basotho people in Southern Africa. Written poetry in the Sesotho language has existed for over 150 years however, the oral poetry has been practiced throughout Basotho history.

Teboho Mochaoa, known commonly by his stage name Morena Leraba is a Lesotho-born singer and rapper. He mainly uses traditional sesotho lyrics and combines them with electro, afro house and Hip hop. His lyrics are deeply rooted in Lesotho's traditional music, poetry, and its sub-genre, famo.

Puseletso Seema is a musician and performer of the Famo musical tradition in Lesotho. She has been acclaimed as the Queen of Famo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ukusina</span> African Traditional dance

Ukusina is a type of traditional dance that has its roots in South Africa's coastal region. For the Zulu people, it is an expressive and rhythmic dance form with deep cultural importance. The Ukusina requires dancers to kick their legs in any direction up and out, and then stamp each foot into the ground. The majority of the time, this dance is performed for entertainment during social occasions such as wedding ceremony. Ukusina dances, as a result, are socially created and center on the song leader singing interlocking word phrases. Traditionally, it was thought that no religious event would be complete without at least one ukusina dance performance. Ukusina dance is a fundamental component of the social, religious, and cultural life of the Zulu people, as evidenced by the descriptions of traditional dances in South Africa. Everyone in attendance is drawn into a coherent action atmosphere by the intimate relationship between body movement and music.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Levine, Laurie; Drumcafe (2005). The Drumcafé's traditional music of South Africa. Jacana Media. pp. 136–137 / 286. ISBN   1-77009-046-0 . Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Coplan, David Bellin (1994). In the time of cannibals: the word music of South Africa's Basotho migrants. University of Chicago Press. ISBN   0-226-11574-7 . Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Marcus, George E. (1992). Rereading cultural anthropology (3rd ed.). Duke University Press. ISBN   0-8223-1297-2 . Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  4. "Macufe Mangaung African Cultural Festival". Lesedi FM. 2008-10-03. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  5. "Macufe Daily Programme 2008". Macufe Mangaung African Cultural Festival. 2009-10-03. Retrieved 2009-05-22.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. "TRADITIONAL MUSICIANS HONOURED". National Heritage Council, South Africa. Retrieved 2009-05-21.