In Memorium: The life and music of Tsepo Tshola, A legacy of an immortal ambassador of the arts

The Inspiration behind Moshoeshoe Walk to the highest order of Ramatšeatsana

Famo Music, A genre mined from the belly of the earth – Spotlight on Mantša oa Lesea

The curtains came down on the life of one of Lesotho’ best artistic exports, the ambassador extraordinaire, Tsepo Mobu Tshola, who succumbed to Covid-19 on 15 July 2021 at the age of 68.

Tshola rose to stardom with Sankomota and later went solo under the soubriquet “The Village Pope”. He set the stage alight whenever he performed for over half a century, mesmerising audiences with his gravelly baritone, and singing from his heart, the songs which told many stories deeply rooted in his people, their struggles and the word of God.

He sang Afro-pop, jazz and gospel, and his music invoked celebratory encores from his fans. We pay tribute to this musical luminary, a legend whose voice has inspired Basotho at home, in the continent, Europe and the United States with splendour and hope.

The remains of Tsepo were interred at the Heroes Acre in Thaba Bosiu, a fitting tribute to a true son of the soil, whose work will continue to inspire us for generations to come.

He has joined the angelic choir in the heavens with the others that left before him. His bandmates, “Captain” Frank ‘Moki Leepa, Moss Nkofo, Pitso Sera, Harebatho “Black Jesus” Musa have possibly welcomed him to relive the times of Sankomota, the greatest band Lesotho has ever produced.

Born on 18 August 1953 to the late Reverend Edwin Mokoteli Tshola and ‘Malimpho Irene Tshola at Ha-Ratsiu in Teya-teyaneng, Berea, Tsepo was born in a God loving family which praised Him through music. His father was a priest at the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) and his mother was the congregation chorister. The church was his musical alma mater, which also had a huge influence in some of Tshola’s greatest hits as a solo artiste.

He did his primary education at St James Primary in Maseru and later high school at Butha Buthe High School before enrolling at Lerotholi Polytechnic for a course in carpentry. Already a gifted and determined musician, at 17, he abandoned his studies to follow his heart, where he first became a vocalist for Blue Diamonds in Maseru. Shortly afterwards, he joined Anti Antiques formed by guitarist, “Captain” Frank Leepa in what was then Lesotho’s hottest band in the early 70s.

Anti Antiques, later changed its name to Uhuru, which in Swahili means freedom. The band briefly toured South Africa in 1979 before being banned by the then apartheid government for its hit song, Africa Shall Unite. The song praised and promoted Pan African politics and celebrated the continent. The band eventually came home only to reemerge as Sankomota, partly to avoid the banned name, but more importantly, to distinguish itself from Black Uhuru, a Jamaican reggae band that was already well established during that time. The origins of the name Sankomota are sketchy, but according to Captain Frank, Sankomota was a warrior of Basotho from the Bapeli people. However, it is unknown whether he was real or a phantom. Other theories about the name say that the warrior referred to by Frank is actually Sankatana, of the famous Basotho folklore and mythology and he deliberately twisted the spelling to name the band Sankomota. In the years that followed, Sankomota would become a household name as Lesotho’s and on of Southern Africa’s most revered afro-fusion and pop ensemble.

In the early late 1970s to the early 1980s, Sankomota was the house band at Victoria Hotel, entertaining the crème de la crème of Maseru, including other musicians of note like Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela, who were exiled from South Africa because of their protest songs. Hugh performed in Maseru and as expected, Sankomota was the opening act. It is at such performances that Hugh and Tsepo made a connection that would lead to their friendship and collaborations. Perhaps the defining moment in the early rise of Sankomota was when the band opened for and reportedly upstaged American jazz icons, Dizzy Gillipsie and Monk Montgomery at the Lesotho Music Festival in December 1977. At that festival, the melodic voices of Tshola and Frank signaled that Sankomota was ready to take on the world.

Sankomota’s biggest break came when South African producer, Lloyd Ross, recorded its self-titled debut album in 1983, featuring the hit Its Raining. Because Sankomota was still banned in South Africa, this album was recorded using a mobile studio set up at Radio Lesotho. Sankomota was later released to the international audience in 1984. It is important to note that Tshola, though a member of Sankomota did not participate in the recording of this album as he was in Botswana with Hugh Masekela.

Apart from Tsepo and Frank, the original Sankomota was made up of members including, Moss Nkofo on drums, Sechele “Dizzy” Khaketla on keyboards, Moruti Selate on bass and Harebatho “Black Jesus” Musa on percussions. It was managed by Peter Schnider, a Swizz-German whose family had a business in Lesotho. While on tour with Masekela in London, Tshola persuaded another musician, Julian Bahula of Malombo fame from South Africa to organise performances for Sankomota, and they raised funds to fly the rest of the band to London, which would become their base between 1985 and 1989. At the time, Sankomota was still banned in South Africa and the band was forced to look for routes that did not pass through South Africa to reach their destination. It is in London where Sankomota recorded their second album, Dreams Do Come True in 1987, and The Writing’s On The Wall in 1989.

Sankomota grew in leaps and bounds and being in Europe, the band learnt other musical influences from East and West Africa, and skillfully incorporated them into its sound while its core remained grounded in the Basotho culture. The sound of Sankomota music became more expansive soul music, melodies jay-walked on reggae’s explosive street corners, crossed the highbrow technicalities of mbaqanga, and shaved off jazz music’s jaded perspective. Scholarly literature, especially an article titled Sankomota: An Ode In One Album by Pheello Mofokeng rightly contends that the philosophy of black consciousness and Pan Africanism found a strong expression in Sankomota’s music. The music was also laced by oral traditions and the culture of the African people. This trend was maintained by both Frank and Tshola later in their solo careers to create an amalgam of what Frank called “malo” (spirit/soul) music.

Tshola continued to grow in music and fame during his time with Sankomota, and indeed people ended up mistaking Sankomota for Tsepo Tshola. While it is difficult to speak of Sankomota without Tsepo Tshola, it is also unfathomable to describe Tsepo without Sankomota. He was both the face of the band and the lead vocalist with a memorable rasping, hoarse but yet sublime voice that could go from variations of pitch and tone from tenor to baritone with the ease and simplicity of amazing proportions. The hoarseness of his “Louis Armstrong” voice was in fact a medical condition of some benign growth on his vocal cords that had to be removed by surgery. The family says while on the operating table, Tshola accidentally woke up before the operation could begin, which was allegedly the fault of the anesthetist who reportedly administered an insufficient dose. He never went back to hospital and lived with the condition that later became his signature, catapulting his career. Tshola’s voice sounds out sweet and clear on Sankomota’s second and third albums, Dreams Do Come True and The Writing’s On The Wall.

On the sidelines, his many encounters with Hugh Masekela, the world renowned South African trumpeter, composer and singer, led to Tshola eventually joining Masekela in the recording of Techno Bush and Waiting for the Rain in Botswana. Accompanying Hugh, Tshola toured Southern Africa, London and the United States.

Sankomota came back home from London at the dawn of democracy in South Africa when the release of Nelson Mandela was imminent. Upon their return, they joined Hugh Masekela’s homecoming tour, Sekunjalo in 1991, much to the massive adulation of their fans, whom they initially thought had forgotten them. Shortly after their return to from Europe, Frank and Tsepo had misunderstandings in their growing fame and stardom that eventually led to Tshola splitting formal ties with Sankomota. In fact, later on, the band disbanded, and Frank and other members went on to record solo albums. Nonetheless, their brotherly bond was difficult to break, as they still sang together and even recorded the song, Kithi Githi , long after their separation.

It was after the Sekunjalo tour that Tshola opened a new leaf that would mark the beginning of his illustrious career as a solo artiste until his untimely death, and affirming himself as an exceptionally talented vocalist, arranger and composer. His solo pursuits produced nine highly celebrated albums of critical acclaim.

Starting with his first self-titled album, The Village Pope, released in 1994, the collection was an embodiment of Tshola’s musical flair and talent. His compositions picked from the style of Sankomota, but also revealed another side of his music that was influenced by African-American hymnody. This shift was arguably the influence of his early upbringing at the church. In this album, Tsepo became the self-proclaimed Village Pope. He also offered a rendition of the hymn, “Ho Lokile” in memory of his wife, Monis, who was murdered in cold blood in 1989 by Vedie Nkosi, who was later convicted with murder and sentenced to death. Nkosi is the last convict to have been executed on death row in Lesotho. Ho Lokile was not only a hit, but for him and his family, a deeply spiritual song that helped them to heal from the loss of Monis, whom at the time of her brutal murder was nursing their three months old son, Katleho. He never remarried but focused his life in raising his children and growing his music.

Tshola’s solo repertoire in the albums that followed included hits like A ko Butle, Beulah Land, House of the Lord, Madambadamba, Shine your light and many others. He collaborated with several South African artistes and featured on many albums in a variety of genres. Among the artistes he collaborated with include Brenda Fassie, PJ Powers, Oliver Mtukudzi, Thandiswa Mazwayi, Bhudaza Mapefane, Joyous Celebration and more recently, young artistes like Bonolo, Jub Jub and Casper Nyovest.

Tshola is also one of the most highly decorated musicians in Lesotho and South Africa alike. He has won multiple awards including several Kora Music Awards, Metro FM Music Awards among many others. He has also been awarded an honorary doctorate by the National University of Lesotho (NUL) for his outstanding contribution to Basotho culture through his music. Perhaps the most prestigious of the awards that he held so dearly was the Meritorious Order of Ramatseatsana conferred by His Majesty King Letsie III for his outstanding contribution to music and the arts. Tsepo Tshola met his untimely death also having been bestowed with the calling and title of Honorary Bishop by the African American Episcopal Church in Africa. He is survived by his two sons, Kamohelo and Katleho, his daughter Keitumetse and three grandchildren.

The demise of Tshola has indeed rattled the musical landscape in Lesotho and Southern Africa as a whole. He remains a shining beacon and an epitome of excellence that his family and the entire Basotho nation will remain proud of. His work is a timeless testament of rare talent to have ever graced the Mountain Kingdom. We shall forever cherish his immortal gift that he shared so generously. Rest in peace BT.

Solo Albums