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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.
The national anthem of Lesotho is "Lesotho Fatse La Bontata Rona". Written by François Coillard, a French missionary, it appears in the popular computer game "Sims 2: University" as the theme from a videogame console for the minigame "A-maz-ing Matey."
Traditional musical instruments include lekolulo, a kind of flute played by herding boys; setolo-tolo, resembling an extended jaw harp played by men using their mouth; and the women's stringed thomo. More recently the mamokhorong, sometimes known as the sekhankula, has also become popular. [1]
Vocal choirs, which sing church music in Sesotho, are extremely popular. These choirs are formed in villages, towns, churches, etc., and can be heard on the radio every evening. The Gospel music of Lesotho is support by artists like justice Mofoleng and Joey Mofoleng his young brother. [2] Lesotho gospel musicians are using their music to evangelize and support the brokenhearted.
As an enclave of South Africa, it is not surprising that South African musicians have a large following in Lesotho. Most frequently heard on the radio are various sub-Saharan AfroPop styles, Sotho Hip-hop, RnB, Deep house, Soulful House, Dancehall, Jazz, kwaito, and reggae.
While South African music is generally enjoyed in Lesotho, there is a tremendous following for famo (contemporary Sesotho music, which features the accordion and oil can drum) such as that by Mosotho Chakela. The music recording industry is nascent, but many of the Basotho musicians sign with South African companies - undermining growth prospects. , Malome Vector, Ntate Stunna, Taiylor Manson and Juvy are well known musicians in the South African music Industry. Malome Vector is signed under a well known recording label 'Ambitiouz Entertainment'.
SothoSesotho, also known as Southern Sotho or Sesotho sa Borwa is a Southern Bantu language of the Sotho–Tswana ("S.30") group, spoken in Lesotho, and South Africa where it is an official language.
The Sotho, also known as the Basotho, are a Sotho-Tswana ethnic group native to Southern Africa. They primarily inhabit the regions of Lesotho and South Africa.
Thomas Mokopu Mofolo is often regarded as the first African novelist. His body of work, which consists of three books composed between 1905 and 1910, were first written in Sesotho, and then widely translated.
Phuthi (Síphùthì) is a Nguni Bantu language spoken in southern Lesotho and areas in South Africa adjacent to the same border. The closest substantial living relative of Phuthi is Swati, spoken in Eswatini and the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Although there is no contemporary sociocultural or political contact, Phuthi is linguistically part of a historic dialect continuum with Swati. Phuthi is heavily influenced by the surrounding Sesotho and Xhosa languages, but retains a distinct core of lexicon and grammar not found in either Xhosa or Sesotho, and found only partly in Swati to the north.
The Sotho-Tswana, also known as the Sotho or Basotho, although the term is now closely associated with the Southern Sotho peoples are a meta-ethnicity of Southern Africa. They are a large and diverse group of people who speak Sotho-Tswana languages. The group is predominantly found in Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, and the western part of Zambia. Smaller groups can also be found in Namibia and Zimbabwe.
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.
Morija Museum & Archives, also known as Morija Museum, is located in Morija, a large village in the Maseru district of Lesotho. The museum was formally opened in 1956, and entered its present permanent facilities in 1989. The purpose of the museum is to carry on the tradition of Morija, as a centre of learning, innovation and excellence, in Lesotho. Morija Museum is home to many cultural treasures including, traditional Basotho artifacts as well as Lifaqane and Boer War memorabilia. The archives portion of the museum includes documents dated as far back as 1826. This collection is extremely rich in 19th century documentation related to Lesotho.
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.
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.
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.
Lesotho, a country in Southern Africa, is home to several languages, including Phuthi, Sesotho, Xhosa, Zulu and English, — all, except for English, belong to the Niger–Congo language family.
Litema, spelled as Ditema in South African Sesotho orthography is a form of Sesotho mural art composed of decorative and symbolic geometric patterns, commonly associated with Sesotho tradition today practised in Lesotho and neighbouring areas of South Africa. Basotho women generate litema on the outer walls and inside of homesteads by means of engraving, painting, relief mouldings and/or mosaic. Typically the geometric patterns are combed or scratched into the wet top layer of fresh clay and dung plaster of the wall, and later painted with earth ochers or, in contemporary times, manufactured paint. Patterns most often mimic ploughed fields through a combed texture, or the patterns refer to plant life, and more occasionally to other aspects of the natural world, such as referring to clan totem animal. Litema are transient; they may desiccate and crumble or be washed away by heavy rain. It is common for women of an entire village to apply litema on such special occasions as a wedding or a religious ceremony.
A mokorotlo is a type of straw hat widely used for traditional Sotho clothing, and is the national symbol of Lesotho and the national symbol of the Basotho and Lesotho peoples. An image of the Mokorotlo appears on the Lesotho flag, and on Lesotho vehicle license plates. The design is believed to have been inspired by the conical mountain Mount Qiloane. It is known as “molianyeoe”, which means "he who executes judgement in court" in Sesotho. It is manufactured from an indigenous grass known as “mosea” or “leholi”.
The Basotho blanket is a distinctive form of woollen blanket commonly worn by Sotho people in Lesotho and South Africa.
Ntšeliseng ’Masechele Khaketla was a pioneering poet, dramatist, translator, and teacher from Lesotho.
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.
Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa (1908-1982) was a prominent choral music composer in Sesotho, the native language of the BaSotho people of Southern Africa.
Michael Mosoeu Moerane was a choral music composer and the first black South African to write a symphonic poem, in 1941.
'Mantsopa Anna Makhetha (1793–1908), often referred to as 'Mantsopa, was a Basotho prophetess, rainmaker, and storyteller. She advised King Moshoeshoe I and predicted the outcomes of several battles, including the Battle of Viervoet in 1851 and the Battle of Berea in 1852. She was exiled to Modderpoort in the late 1860s, where she converted to Christianity and was baptised in 1870. She fused Christianity with her own traditional Basotho customs.
Bokang Moleli, known professionally as Malome Vector, was a Lesotho singer-songwriter and rapper. Born and raised in Roma, Maseru, Vector's musical career began at the age of 14 in 2004 as a school choir participant prior to competing on talent shows. Vector was one of the young artists who expressed their culture & language in HipHop music, as in most of his songs he sings in the Sotho language.
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