how Lesotho’s in style music took a lethal flip : NPR

MASERU, Lesotho — Puseletso Seema is musical royalty within the tiny African mountain kingdom of Lesotho, the place she’s often called “the Queen of Famo” -– a well-liked style of pastoral accordion music beloved by the nation’s folks, the Basotho.

However for all her fame, she by no means bought wealthy, and the 77-year-old grandmother’s dwelling circumstances as of late are removed from regal.

She resides in a small, run-down dwelling alongside a dusty highway within the rural areas exterior the capital, the place small boys experience donkeys beneath the shadows of the mountains, and shepherds wrapped in colourful, patterned blankets watch over flocks of sheep.

It is winter, with strikingly clear blue skies and snow on the distant mountain peaks. Seema would not have cash for electrical energy and isn’t nicely, coughing so much as she reminisces about turning into the primary lady to interrupt right into a music trade that was as soon as strictly the protect of males.

“Famo music is a music that’s like jazz in different international locations, it is the style most identified in Lesotho,” she explains. “It is a music that’s emotionally related, you’ll be able to categorical your happiness, disappointment, all of your emotions.”

Journalist Motsamai Mokotjo, who has written on the subject, explains famo this manner: “In essence it is engraved in people legislation, you understand, it is poetry fused with the accordion.”

“It speaks to the historical past of Basotho and every little thing that is occurring within the nation. It is extra like what folks in America would say is hip hop, it is a type of expression,” he provides.

 Wayfarers’ Hymns

Lesotho is likely one of the world’s poorest international locations, and Seema grew up with little or no. She had no education and was put to work by her household as a toddler taking care of the livestock. Often it was boys who labored as shepherds, however Seema’s dad and mom did not have a son. Nonetheless, she held her personal.

“After I was within the fields I might typically combat with a few of the herdboys,” she laughs. “And I began singing this music after I was a shepherd.”

Famo began as a rural music amongst Lesotho’s shepherds, however migrated to the city areas together with the Basotho who went to work in South Africa’s mines within the twentieth century.

“It was there the place they had been launched to an accordion,” says Mpho Malikeng, a Maseru musician and artist who’s an skilled on famo. “That’s the main instrument of famo music.”

Lesotho is fully surrounded by South Africa, whose mineral wealth and huge gold deposits made it a middle of mining for many years. After an extended day down the shafts, mineworkers would collect at rowdy makeshift pubs referred to as shebeens, and play famo.

Seema, too, went to attempt to make her fortune in Johannesburg, typically dubbed “egoli” or the town of gold. Not as a miner, however a performer for the miners – simply as when she was a herder, a girl getting into a person’s world.

“I am the primary lady to supply famo music,” she says. “As a result of that music was identified for males to sing it and for ladies to bop to it, flicking up their skirts, after they went to shebeens.”

Authorities Ban

Famo has modified so much since Seema’s day. As of late, it is change into inextricably related to gang violence.

Whereas there are not any precise statistics on what number of lives have been misplaced to famo-related violence, it’s dangerous sufficient that final 12 months the Lesotho authorities launched a crackdown, banning some teams fully in addition to prohibiting media from reporting on the gang wars.

“There are disturbing problems with murders happening as of late. Our households, kin and pals are killed by these Famo gangs,” stated diamond magnate Prime Minister Sam Matekane final 12 months.

“As the federal government we’ve got launched a gazette that signifies that these teams or these folks, wherever they’re, they need to be often called terrorists,” he added.

The federal government launched the crackdown after a spate of famo revenge killings in 2024. In a single, in April, 5 members of the identical household had been killed. In July, famo star Khopolo Kholue, was gunned down alongside an area journalist investigating the gang wars.

Mpho Malikeng , a musician and cultural activist from Lesotho, says the violence all comes all the way down to famo musicians buying and selling barbed insults of their music lyrics – and the antipathy then turns to actual violence.

“It is like a rap battle, so it’s important to diss your fellow battler, by dissing them, you are making them give you higher verses, they usually’re additionally dissing you again,” he says.

Like a Rap Beef

He likens the state of affairs to the East coast-West coast rivalry between hip hop teams in Nineties Los Angeles, that resulted within the murders of Tupac Shakur and the Infamous B.I.G.

There’s additionally friction over turf, he provides, explaining: “You can’t be in a sure space listening to so-and so …. It might even price you your life.”

Nonetheless he says he thinks the federal government has gone too far with the bans, particularly as some politicians and members of the safety forces are themselves alleged to be concerned with Famo gangs.

“It has even infiltrated into the political panorama of the nation, the politicians use all this to attempt to garner assist for electioneering,” he says.

Prime Minister Matekane has admitted some members of the police are concerned with famo gangs, saying: “We’ve got discovered as the federal government that some members of the safety businesses are on the entrance row in these famo gangs. I enchantment to them to stop that factor and do what they’re employed to do.”

NPR phoned police minister Lebona Lephema for touch upon the crackdown, however he declined to remark and hung up.

Regardless of having a inhabitants of solely 2.3 million, Lesotho has excessive homicide charges and unlawful firearms are rife. The gang violence has additionally spilled into neighboring South Africa.

Famo music continues to be in style amongst unlawful miners there, who threat their lives exploring disused mine shafts to eke out a dwelling. Lots of them are Basotho, and are often called “zama zamas,” or “those that take an opportunity.” A few of them are engaged in gang violence too.

“Queen of Famo,” Seema, would not need to touch upon the gang wars which have change into a part of the music tradition. However she’s going to say: “I do not like music that’s vulgar or insulting or insinuating any hate.”