Sankomota

Last updated
Sankomota
Also known asUhuru
Origin Maseru, Lesotho
Genres Afro-Jazz, Rock fusion
Years active1976–present
Labels Shifty Records
Members
  • Moss Nkofo
  • Black Jesus
  • Pitso Sera
Past members
  • Tsepo Tshola (deceased)
  • Frank Leepa (deceased)

Sankomota is an Afro-jazz fusion band formed in 1976 in Lesotho. The band consisted of several members in its earliest years; Frank Leepa (guitarist, vocalist, arranger, composer), Moss Nkofo (drummer), Black Jesus (percussion), Moruti Selate (bass), Tsepo Tshola (lead vocalist and composer), and Pitso Sera (guitar), among others. Sankomota was managed by Peter B. Scheider until 1979. Later, under the management of Leepa, Sankomota's career spanned out over two decades. [1]

Contents

History

Frank Leepa, also known as the Captain, started the band in school, calling it Anti Antiques. The band later changed its name to Uhuru, meaning 'freedom' in Swahili. However, due to the popularity of Black Uhuru from Jamaica, under the advisement of Schneider, the band decided to change their name again in order to avoid confusion. The name 'Sankomota' was chosen due to its symbolism, meaning phantom or poltergeist in the Sesotho language, as well as it being the name of a warrior from the Basotho and Bapedi people during the reign of King Moshoeshoe. Sankomota was the first band to record an LP in Lesotho. They were recorded by Lloyd Ross and Warrick Sony of Shifty Records on November 11, 1983. The album was self-titled, and it had nine tracks that collectively ran under 50 minutes long.

In 1991, Tsepo Tshola, the band's lead singer, left to pursue a solo career. In 1996, on the way to Cape Town, South Africa, the band suffered a road accident that killed unnamed members of the band.

Frank Leepa died on 27 November 2003 [2] and Tshola died on 15 July 2021. [3]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1944 in music</span> Overview of the events of 1944 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1928 in music</span> Overview of the events of 1928 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1928.

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isham Jones</span> American bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter (1894–1956)

Isham Edgar Jones was an American bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter.

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

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.

Pinhead Gunpowder is an American punk rock band that formed in East Bay, California, in 1991. The band currently consists of Aaron Cometbus, Bill Schneider (bass), Billie Joe Armstrong and Jason White. The band's name comes from a brand of "high octane" green tea served at the Arcata co-op and discovered by Aaron Cometbus during one of his many dumpster diving adventures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Sanborn</span> American saxophonist (1945–2024)

David William Sanborn was an American alto saxophonist. Sanborn worked in many musical genres; his solo recordings typically blended jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He began playing the saxophone at the age of 11 and released his first solo album, Taking Off, in 1975. He was active as a session musician, and played on numerous albums by artists including Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Sting, the Eagles, Rickie Lee Jones, James Brown, George Benson, Carly Simon, Elton John, Bryan Ferry and the Rolling Stones. He released more than 20 albums and won six Grammy awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slide Hampton</span> American trombonist (1932–2021)

Locksley Wellington Hampton was an American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tuba and flugelhorn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sy Oliver</span> American trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader

Melvin James "Sy" Oliver was an American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbey Lincoln</span> American singer (1930–2010)

Anna Marie Wooldridge, known professionally as Abbey Lincoln, was an American jazz vocalist and songwriter. She was a civil rights activist beginning in the 1960s. Lincoln made a career out of delivering deeply felt presentations of standards, as well as writing and singing her own material.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tabu Ley Rochereau</span> Musical artist

Pascal-Emmanuel Sinamoyi Tabu, better known as Tabu Ley Rochereau, was a leading African rumba singer-songwriter from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was the leader of Orchestre Afrisa International, as well as one of Africa's most influential vocalists and prolific songwriters. Along with guitarist Dr Nico Kasanda, Tabu Ley pioneered soukous and internationalised his music by fusing elements of Congolese folk music with Cuban, Caribbean and Latin American rumba. He has been described as "the Congolese personality who, along with Mobutu, marked Africa's 20th century history." He was dubbed "the African Elvis" by the Los Angeles Times. After the fall of the Mobutu regime, Tabu Ley also pursued a political career. His musical career ran parallel to the other great Congolese rhumba bandleader and rival Franco Luambo Makiadi who ran the band TPOK Jazz throughout the 1960s, 1970s and '80s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Sample</span> American jazz musician and composer (1939–2014)

Joseph Leslie Sample was an American jazz keyboardist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders in 1960, after which its name was shortened to "The Crusaders" in 1971. He remained a part of the group until its final album in 1991, and also the 2003 reunion album Rural Renewal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salena Jones</span> Musical artist

Salena Jones is an American jazz and cabaret singer. After performing and recording in the US as Joan Shaw from the late 1940s until the early 1960s, in various styles including jazz and R&B, she moved to England and from then on performed as Salena Jones. She has toured internationally and recorded over forty albums.

Beatrice "Sathima Bea" Benjamin was a South African vocalist and composer based in New York City for nearly 45 years.

Frederick I. Sturm was a jazz composer, arranger and teacher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 in jazz</span> Overview of the events of 1960 in jazz

This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Mackrel</span> American drummer

Dennis Mackrel is an American jazz drummer, composer, and arranger who was a member of the Count Basie Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Lacksman</span> Belgian composer and sound engineer

Dan Lacksman is a Belgian composer and sound engineer, artist and member of Telex, director of numerous acoustic albums, pop or jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omega Tribe (music project)</span> Japanese rock band

Omega Tribe was a Japanese music project led by producer Koichi Fujita from 1983 to 1995. With the help of composers Tetsuji Hayashi, Tsunehiro Izumi, and Hiroshi Shinkawa, the project had three different bands with three different lead vocalists: Kiyotaka Sugiyama (1983–1985), Carlos Toshiki (1986–1991), and Masahito Arai (1993–1994). Under Fujita's directions, recordings were performed by studio musicians and production handled by the project's production team. The project has been described as helping form the city pop sound, especially with the project's usage of summer and sea themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afro fusion</span> Dance genre and musical style

Afro fusion is a dance and musical style that emerged between the 1970s and 2000s. In the same way as the dance style, the musical style invokes fusions of various regional and inter-continental musical cultures, such as jazz, hip hop, kwaito, reggae, soul, pop, kwela, blues, folk, rock and afrobeat.

References

  1. "African Music Library | Band Profile: Sankomota". africanmusiclibrary.org. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  2. 1 2 Monaheng, Tseliso (2014-11-21). "An Ode To Sankomota". Music In Africa. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  3. "Legendary jazz musician Tsepo Tshola has died", Channel24.com, 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021
  4. Wiser, Danny (17 November 2020). "LESOTHO: Dreams Do Come True - Sankomota". 200worldalbums.com. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  5. "Sankomota Albums and Discography". Genius. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  6. "Shifty – since '84".