Nthatuoa Koeshe

MASERU recently got a dose of energy when over 100 colourful revellers thronged the Maseru Club Grounds for the seventh edition of the Lesotho Wine Festival.

A mixture of captains of industry and socialites attended the food and wine galore that was spiced up by smooth music from Majisto’s band.

With over 40 vendors on hand to serve and educate wine lovers on the various wines, the event had all facets to appease the revellers’ cravings.

Launched in 2012, the annual festival is one of Lesotho’s trademark wine culture promotion events in the country. The festival began as a small gathering of friends who wanted to share their passion for wine and its rich history seven years ago.

Founder Paulo de Freitas envisioned a community gathering where people from different cultures and could come together for a day of camaraderie. And seven years later, the festival has now gone international attracting exhibitors from far flung places like Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Paris among others.

“This festival aimed at exposing the community to boutique wines outside of the mainstream market and prides itself in personalising the relationship between wine farmers and the diverse community of Lesotho,” Paulo told the Lesotho Times on the sidelines of the festival.

He said as the festival grows, they hope to showcase more craft wines, gins and vodkas and more local artistes to attract more Basotho.

Sponsors FNB, who are now in their third year of their partnership with the event said they were proud to be associated with the vibrant event.

FNB marketing manager Lebohang Setlalekhosi said the event presented them with an ideal platform to interact with their clients.

“Basotho like wine and we also have wine makers in the country, so we are trying to support and expose them to many other wine makers from around the world,” Setlalekhosi said.

Johannesburg’s Genevieve Winery founder, Melissa Genevieve Nelsen, told the Weekender that although this was her first time at the Lesotho Wine Festival, she was impressed by how well it was run.

“I was impressed by their good selection of wines on offer for tasting.

“I loved that a lot of the wine makers had come up to the show personally and this is a great way to meet new markets,” Melissa said.

The post Wine Fest lights up Maseru appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Staff Writer

KINETIC Events has lined up 10-day activities to mark the 10^th anniversary of the adventurous Expedition Africa race at the Afriski Mountain Resort in Butha-Buthe.

The 10-day celebrations are penned in for 9 to 19 April 2020 and aim “to create a magical race in the Kingdom in the Sky”.

Adventure racing is a multi-discipline endurance sport where competitors compete in teams, navigating from control point to control point in a number of disciplines.

Disciplines include horse riding, mountain biking, trekking, kayaking, rope work and orienteering. Teams are expected to navigate using a map and landmarks.

The teams must operate in harsh remote environments in all weather conditions. They travel throughout the night and can decide if when and where to rest.

The first team to complete the whole course, with all the control points visited will be declared the winner. The teams are required to complete the entire distance together (always within hearing and visual distance of each other), helping and assisting each other.

Organiser, Heidi Muller, told the Lesotho Times that they would invite teams to join in traditional ceremonies and customs to allow them to fully immerse themselves in the unique culture of the area.

“The opportunity to engage with the people of Lesotho promises to be a very special part of the event,” Muller said.

“The Kingdom of Lesotho; an adventure lover’s ultimate playground, will be part of the 500 kilometres of the non-stop adventure race course, constituting approximately 20 percent paddling, 30 percent trekking and 50 percent cycling. It will include rope work and some special surprise activities.

“The MTB and trekking legs will traverse far-reaching valleys and mountains and navigate teams through rugged national parks. These include sections the Liphofung Nature Reserve, Tšehlanyane Nature Reserve and Bokong Nature Reserve. Another highlight will also include a section through the Maluti Drakensberg Park.”

She said another leg will feature traditional donkey and Basotho pony as added cultural experience.

The host venue and race village for Expedition Africa 2019 will be Afriski Mountain Resort, one of only two ski resorts in Southern Africa. Located at 3050m (10 006 ft) above sea-level, it is the second highest resort in Africa and boasts skiing opportunities all year round.

Muller said 40 teams of four people each from around the world have already registered for the epic adventure.

“Some of the countries are Switzerland, Ireland, UK, Australia, South Africa and France. International media, the team media and international volunteers will also join us to cover this magnificent race.

“Lesotho is a land of great diversity and hope and Kinetic Events believes that by hosting Expedition Africa in the region, it will create a framework for local government departments, businesses and communities to be involved in the event through adventure tourism.

“The opportunity to highlight the amazing adventure options the region has to offer is a primary focus. To this extent, Kinetic Events has been working closely with the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) to promote Lesotho as a major travel destination.

“Head of strategic marketing, Tebello Thoola has been working alongside the Kinetic Team and is optimistic about hosting the event in the area in April 2020,” Muller said.

The post Lesotho hosts 10th anniversary of Expedition Africa appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Nthatuoa Koeshe

FEUD or attention seeking stunt? This is the question that has been in many music lover’s minds before rappers Mega Hertz and Unkle Krack released their hot new collaboration titled Ak’u Ik’hantše (Be proud).

The two rap heavyweights had appeared to be destined for a beef prior to the release.

It all started when Unkle Krack posted on Facebook urging Mega Hertz to remember who was the leader on the rap scene.

“It wasn’t long when I told Mega Hertz that’s that I rule this game and he is pretending to not remember,” read the status in Sesotho.

The post got massive attention from the artistes’ fans with some suggesting that the two releases diss tracks to settle their feud.

Mega Hertz appeared not to take the jab lying down advising his fellow artiste to start liking him as hate would not benefit him.

However, all that has now been proven to be just a publicity stunt to get attention for their new project.

Unkle Krack told the Weekender that he had never planned the collaboration but he recently got the idea when he listened to one of his recordings and knew that Mega Hertz would fit in well.

“I had recorded a verse and a hook sometime back and when I revisited my work, I decided to send it to Mega Hertz and see if he wanted to be part of it,” Unkle Krack said.

Unkle Krack said Mega Hertz liked the track so much that he returned it on the same day with his own verses.

He said they employed the publicity stunt because they knew that it would be effective given that beef among artistes attracts huge traffic on social media.

Born Neo Malea, Unkle Krack started doing music in 2009 and released his first mixtape called Changes in 2017. The 15-track compilation explores the artiste’s life story and how he ended up in the music industry.

He recently released a titled Actions Loud which has also enhanced his popularity.

Born Thaabe Letsie, Mega Hertz is well known for rapping in Sesotho. His popularity grew in 2016 after the release of his track Lineo Mathaba. He is also known for his track Mookho which in 2016 became an anthem that was played in all corners of Maseru.

The post Unkle Krack, Mega Hertz release duet appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Poloko Mokhele

THE recently crowned inaugural winner of the Step-Up Lesotho talent search programme believes she was stronger outside than she was inside the competition.

Tamia although her fellow contestants could be better singers, her votes mobilisation strengthened her more than her fellow contestants.

Tamia was crowned the winner ahead of Nthabiseng Khetsi and Michael Sway. She took home a brand-new VW Polo Vivo, a United States record deal and a three-year IBC scholarship among others after garnering a staggering 45 372 votes.

Second placed Nthabiseng had 33 219 votes while the third placed Sway had only 16 736 votes.

The feat defied all odds. First Tamia was at one time eliminated from the top 10 after recording the least votes. Eventually, she was saved by the judges who invoked a saving mechanism that was at their disposal and she returned to the top four.

Although they were lambasted for allegedly favouring Tamia, the organisers said the mechanism was meant to create hype towards the finale.

Tamia also had to beat child birth pains and returned to the competition just four days after the birth of her first-born child and went on to bag the win just seven days after labour.

In a recent no holds-barred interview with the Weekender Lesotho Times, Tamia revealed that her strategy involved performing at different Maseru clubs and then request the audience to vote for her.

“After performing three or four songs, I would request people to vote for me as many times as possible and the plan worked,” Tamia said.

“After voting they would show me the confirmation messages.”

While Tamia may have done well, her mother was in fact the star of her campaign, investing thousands of maloti into voting. From taking bank loans to getting money from Tamia’s insurance policy, she went into full throttle with the campaign to ensure that her daughter won.

Her mother, Marina Phooko, told the Weekender in a separate interview that she left no stone unturned to ensure that her daughter won the competition. She said she would approach whoever cared to listen to her and beg them to vote including government officials.

Although she preferred not to state the actual figure she spent in the process, she said she used well over M30 000 to purchase airtime for different people so that they would vote.

“I am grateful to everyone who assisted us by voting for Tamia. I pestered a lot of people including celebrities and even government officials. I am thankful to them all. Some gave me money amounting to several thousands of maloti while I also applied for a loan and it paid off,” Marina said.

She said she did not worry about the cost of the campaign as she was determined to ensure that her daughter bagged a US record contract.

“I realised that since the competition was votes based, it was possible to mobilise votes and even invest money into it because it was more of an investment. I told myself that even if I were to spend M50 000 to get my daughter a record contract so be it. I did not even care about the car. All I wanted was for her to get the contract.”

Tamia said her mother’s determination enhanced her desire to win.

“Despite the pregnancy, I remained focused, determined and passionate in what I was doing. I must admit that I was relieved to give birth before the grand finale because I had to prepare for my performance which was a mammoth task while I was pregnant,” she says.

Tamia has also not taken her critics lying down saying they were more talk and less action.

“There is more talk than action from people who are attacking me. Maybe if they had voted in large numbers for whoever they wanted to win; they would have gotten what they wanted.

“At this point they are looking for all kinds of reasons for which I wasn’t fit to win but there is nothing tangible. I am neither connected to the show organisers nor Vodacom…I won the competition fair and square.

“Some have said I am a poor singer and should never have made it to the top 10 but I am not sorry that I won because of a practical strategy that actually worked…I am not sorry about anything that happened, because I believe this is all God’s work.

“I remember praying one day saying to God, if this is not for me, give me peace to accept that and if it is for me; give me the strength to fight for it. I fought and won.

“I am not going to allow the negativity from my critics to pull me down but will keep my head high and focus on building my music career. There are more sleepless nights in the studio and writing music ahead because I want to release an album in the future,” Tamia said.

The post Tamia speaks on Step-Up win appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Nthatuoa Koeshe

PARTY lovers braved Maseru’s chilly weather on Saturday and thronged the ‘Mathabiseng Convention Centre for the second edition of the Home Coming Festival.

With performances from artistes like gospel sensation Lebo Sekgobela, Tehillah Africah, Semito, Holly Rey, Selimo Thabane, Baff Junior, Mavele, Cura, Mosh, Kingdom Classics, DJs Alex, Bootz, Napolinah, TshepzaDj, Pablo, Kopper, Gama, and many others; the revellers were kept on their feet throughout the event.

As has become the tradition, Selimo exhibited his exceptional rapport getting the audience to sing along the larger part of his set that was spiced up by some of his new tracks.

Sekgobela also got her audience emotional with tracks like Theko ya lona.

The organisers expressed gratitude for the support that they have received from the music lovers.

“The growth in attendance and the discipline of our patrons continues to give us hope for sustained growth in the years to come,” one of the organisers, Sekonyela Matamane who is also director of Scorpio Knight said.

Scorpio Knight partnered with Jam Sessions for the event.

Matamane said the success of the event could also be attributed to strategic partnerships with entities like Maluti Mountain Brewery (MMB), the Lesotho National Broadcasting Service (LNBS), the Sunday Express and Mpilo Boutique Hotel among several others.

He said the concept was created to celebrate the family setup, cultural evolution, diversity and inclusivity in an environment where kids can enjoy entertainment tailored for them.

Matamane added that they realised that in recent years, families hardly spend time together at music festivals so they identified the Independence Holiday period in this month of October as one of the suitable periods when families can unite and have fun.

“We want families to spend time together and a music festival that starts early in the day with various other forms of entertainment was befitting for the concept,” Matamane said.

The post Home Coming lights up Maseru appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Staff Writer

THABA Bosiu Cultural Village will on 14 and 15 December 2019 host the inaugural Lesotho Gin &Trout Festival.

Organisers, say the festival will bring together food tourism, experiential tourism and business tourism.

“The event is a first of many festivals organised by GNT that intend to promote and highlight the treasures which Lesotho holds and present them to the world,” a statement from GNT said.

“We believe that tourism is one of the major drivers that can change the economic landscape in our country.

“We hold a focus on:

• Food tourism which is the celebration of different dishes and the culture behind how they are cultivated, prepared and enjoyed
• Experiential tourism which is the celebration of places and people and the experiences created when they combine. We have a beautiful country but we believe our greatest treasure is the beauty of our people. We believe the experience value tourists can get of interacting with Basotho in Lesotho is priceless
• Business Tourism which showcases Lesotho as an ideal destination for sustainable foreign direct investment and development.

“By fusing the most playful and diverse spirit in the world, being gin, with our newly found delicacy that ranks among the best in the world, trout, we are creating a medium and environment that will foster, celebration, conversation and collaboration,” added the statement from GNT.

The organisers said the festival would be the first lifestyle event of its kind joining a plethora of other established events aimed at making Lesotho a destination of choice for tourists.

“The event will feature gin tasting hosted by some gin producers from across the continent, food stalls with trout as the star ingredient (but not the only one), arts and crafts, gin making and tasting clinics, grown-up game zone, live music, kiddies play area, camping and Tšomo’s by the campfire.

“The festival is running a tour which started on 1 October 2019 where we are visiting various locations around the country offering a taste of the Gin & Trout experience in stunning surroundings. We believe this will drive activity to the owners of these tourist establishments and promote local tourism much more,” the organisers said.

The Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) chief executive officer Mpaiphele Maqutu hailed the initiative calling it a unique and exciting concept.

“This is a unique and exciting concept that has the potential to improve Lesotho’s competitive edge as a tourism destination. LTDC therefore looks to pledge its full support for the first leg of the Lesotho Gin & Trout Festival,” Mr Maqutu said.

“Tickets are on sales via Lesothobookings.co.ls and for more information you can follow Lesotho Gin & Trout Festival on Facebook and Instagram,” the organisers added.

info@gntfestival.co.ls

facebook: Lesotho Gin & Trout Festival

Instagram: lgntf19

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Bataung Moeketsi

FORMER SOS Children’s Villages Lesotho (SOS CVL) beneficiary, Itumeleng Ralebitso will on Saturday host a concert dubbed Grateful Music Show at the Word of Life Auditorium in Maseru.

The show is her way of thanking SOS and will kick off at 6pm.

The 26-year-old songstress will be supported by Ghanaian Gospel artiste KingzKid, Zimbabwean alternative contemporary Christian gospel artiste Minister Allen Jenje and Step-Up Lesotho runner up, Nthabiseng Khetsi.

Ms Ralebitso is a Business Administration graduate and aspiring singer who currently works as the Sub Saharan Africa Coordinator for a DHL Lesotho and SOS programme called GoTeach.

She also has her own organisation called Sold Out which grooms young talent from Lesotho for international platforms.

Tumi, as she is affectionately known, said that the Grateful Music Show is dedicated to SOS and is intended to shine light on the work done by the organisation worldwide.

SOS CVL has been operating in Lesotho since 1998 and provides “both emergency relief and permanent aid to vulnerable children and young people in the country”.

“SOS has many success stories of young people who were once in devastating situations but now have become positive additions to the society and the economy,” Tumi said.

“Some of them have started businesses which can also contribute to the country’s job creation efforts.

“Lately, there has been a significant decrease in international funding coming to SOS, hence local help is required,” Tumi added.

At the age of six, Tumi’s parents separated and her mother was left to fend for six children.

Tumi’s mother fell ill and died when she was 11, leaving her and her siblings to struggle for several months before their grandmother alerted SOS CVL.

Tumi said the show was a reminder that despite one’s background, they can still make it and help their respective societies.

“We must be grateful for the efforts of the caretakers and people supporting the care facilities. I am doing this to show that there are creative ways to help,” Tumi said.

Through SOS, Tumi studied in Ghana at SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College where she discovered her love for music and became the head of the school choir. She also joined Impact Project Ministries, a Gospel group in Ghana.

Tumi wrote a song titled Thank You for SOS and was invited to sing it at the SOS CV donor’s event in Dusseldorf, Germany in November 2018.

After catching the SOS CV Global team’s attention, Thank You was adopted as the SOS Global song. It was released in June 2019 and Tumi has travelled to Ethiopia, Germany and Austria to perform and share the story behind the song.

Tumi has been recognised by different organisations locally and internationally among them the American Embassy and the United Nations for her song.

The post SOS alumnus hosts dedication concert appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Bataung Moeketsi

SESOTHO Media and Development (SMD) recently afforded 23 filmmakers a platform to showcase their talent at the ninth edition of the Lesotho Film Festival (LFF).

The festival ran from 30 October to 2 November 2019 under the theme #TellingAfricanStories.

The festival screened 26 films at the National University of Lesotho (NUL), the State Library, Café What, Machabeng College, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and Alliance Françoise.

SMD is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which aims to grow the festival into a national platform to “view and review development dialogues through the camera lenses of Basotho and international producers”.

Senate Pitso, the festival’s coordinator, told the Weekender the entries for the festival were submitted from April to September 2019.  The winning entries were selected by Mannini Mokhothu, Michael Motaung and Goitumetswe Moseki.

“Every year the LFF team invites local independent juries who may be artists, writers and filmmakers to judge the submitted films,” Pitso said.

“Films are selected according to how they contribute and influence change in Lesotho.”

Ms Pitso hailed the improvement in the quality of submissions this year while the number of local entries also improved.

SMD received 36 local and six international submissions. From these, 26 of were selected.

Pitso however, said they faced serious problems with the poor sound of some of the submissions. She however, said they would next month host a master class on sound engineering and script development.

The class will be held in Morija on 3 and 4 December and will be facilitated by Mosotho filmmaker Pheello Makosholo. Pitso said the applications for the 10 master class spots were already open and would close on 14 November.

The festival ended with an awards ceremony where four filmmakers received golden horn awards for their exceptional work.

Realeboha Mokhabi received the Best Short Film Award for Nyamatsana, The Hub received the Jury Award for their Lesotho music video, Zambian director Paul Luanga Jr received the Best Documentary Film award for Palesa and Khauhelo Lephema received the Best Lesotho Film award for The Curse.

Lephema said winning the award would motivate more people who look up to him.

“Winning the Best Lesotho Film Award means that people who look up to me will be motivated and that is where my excitement comes from,” Lephema said.

The post SMD hosts film fest appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Mohalenyane Phakela

ESCORTING business mogul, Sam Matekane, from Moshoeshoe I Airport to MGC Park in Maseru this week is Pitso ‘Bikerboy’ Ntsukunyane’s most memorable moment.

The opportunity came after years of dreaming to just see Matekane at close range and as fate would have it, his Bikerboy Motorcycle Riding company was this week booked to escort Mr Matekane on his arrival from Canada.

Matekane was recently honoured with a Business Excellence Award by the Canada- Africa Chamber of Business and the Lesotho government.

The 22-year-old was among four riders who lead the Matekane Group of Companies (MGC) boss’ Range Rover while other bikes followed the vehicle. The bikers would perform different stunts while constantly revving their superbikes producing those unmistakable sounds that catch the attention of adrenaline junkies.

Bikerboy told the Weekender this week that escorting Matekane was his biggest booking since he started his company in 2017.

“I regard Matekane as my role model and I have always wanted to get close to him,” Bikerboy said.

“I want my company to be as big as his MGC and I have always wanted to get close to him just to draw inspiration from his body language.

“It was an ineffable feeling when I got a call to provide the escort services to an icon such as Ntate Matekane. Although we did not have the chance to talk much, I could pick from that short conversation that he is a humble person whom, within that busy moment; still made time to chat with the guests at the reception held upon his arrival at MGC.

“This was the first time my company was booked by MGC and I consider it the greatest milestone. I have provided this kind of service before to other prominent people but I am most excited about the Matekane gig because of the man’s passion for business.”

Bikerboy has provided escort services to many prominent people among them former prime minister Pakalitha Mosisili and the current deputy Prime Minister Monyane Moleleki and Gender, Sports, Youth and Recreation minister Mahali Phamotse.

Bikerboy Motorcycle Riding was launched on 7 August 2017, landing small gigs at weddings, funerals and political rallies among others. Its first big gig was providing entertainment at Econet’s Kwese TV launch in Maseru in 2017.

His business has grown. Having started off with a riding club, the Lithabaneng biker provides lessons to biking beginners and he recently started bike repairs and selling riding gear.

Bikerboy told the Weekender that his passion for business and dedication to motorbikes has aided its growth and he is still aiming higher.

“Riding started as a hobby since I was 13 years old and when I decided to make it a business two years ago, it was because I was passionate about it. I believe in always respecting the clients’ expectations and being punctual has worked as a charm. I am humbled by the support Basotho have given me.

“I am going to work hard for my company to grow and reach a point where it can be booked to provide services even beyond the borders,” Bikerboy said.

The post Bikerboy chuffed to meet mogul Matekane appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Nthatuoa Koeshe

BLACK Mix Lesotho has partnered with Avani Hotels for the Warrior Run; a race meant to celebrate the Men’s Health Month on 23 November 2019.

The Men’s Health Month is celebrated in November annually and the race will start at Avani Lesotho and end at Avani Maseru.

Black Mix founder and chief executive officer Manisha Black told the Xpress People that the event would this year focus on creating awareness about different forms of cancer.

She said participants would be dressed in purple speedos.

“It takes guts to run through Maseru only wearing a purple speedo,” Black said.

“The run will be held in the spirit of creating awareness on testicular cancer.

“We encourage men to participate in solidarity with brothers suffering from cancer or they can help us honour those who have lost their lives to cancer.”

She said apart from being fun, the run was “the right thing, unique and empowering”.

“It is also about being the talk of the town. November is Men’s Health Month and we want to use this opportunity to make a difference in the country.

“This event is designed to eradicate the behaviour of ignoring the biggest threat to men’s health; which is prostate cancer,” she said.

Black said one in every six men suffers from prostate cancer and the Warrior Run is designed to raise awareness on this fact and encourage men to get tested for cancer.

The post Black Mix hosts Warrior Run appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Nthatuoa Koeshe  

PUBLIC relations specialist and brand innovator Libe Mohale and media law specialist, Tholoana Rose Ncheke, have partnered to help upcoming Basotho artistes scrutinise their contracts with record labels before appending their signatures.

Mohale’s portfolio includes campaign management and media management. He manages actors like Rami Chuene, Zenande Mfenyana, Vuyo Ngcukana and also has close working relations with Moshe Ndiki, Claire Mawisa and Dineo Moeketsi among many others.

He said most artistes struggle to get out of contracts whenever relations turned sour hence it was crucial to scrutinise the contracts before signing.

“It’s harder or impossible to get one out of a contract when things turn sour,” Mohale said.

He said many artistes rush into contracts because of desperation but that would now be a thing of the past since they can now consult with the specialists to read and advise before they sign.

Mohale said most artistes do not read their contracts hence they are gullible.

“Our talented artistes are swallowed and thrown out all over the world just because they do not read contracts. We have encountered several people who turn around and say they didn’t read the contract because they trusted the potential manager or producer. This is scary and insane but also understandable.

“We are tired of the cycle of artistes coming to big cities and being exploited but being unable to sue to producers and record labels for what is rightfully theirs.”

Mohale said the solution was to read contracts before signing.

“We have, Tholoana a qualified media law specialist and has worked with institutions such as the Film and Production Board of South Africa actively and is available to help local artistes.

“This is a pro bono service that we will provide in our personal capacities just to help and advise them before they commit to things they don’t know,” Mohale said.

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Nthatuoa Koeshe

LESOTHO Deep House Movement (LesMove) will on Saturday host this year’s installment of the annual Vinyl Escapade gig at Kaycees Club in Roma.

DJs to play at the event include South African Linda Meyer, Holly Herb, Poka Moloi and Zakes, eSwatini’s Nkam V and Jazzinsoul and Lesotho’s Kixx The rythmic groover, Saint Mitch, Nchelax inthe House, DeepTaac and Montek.

LesMove founder, Deep Taac (born Tsolo Chabeli) told the Weekender in a recent interview that this event aims to create smooth relations between local DJs and those from eSwatini and South Africa.

“The two countries that have been invited are proof that beautiful music connects nations and goes beyond boundaries,” Deep Taac said.

He said they are also running a special for deep house lovers to purchase tickets and get free Vinyl Escapade T-Shirt.

Deep Taac said they would also have vinyl sales at the event courtesy of South African Linda Meyer’s South Store Record Shop.

“Our idea is simple. With the majority of incoming and veteran DJs leaning towards mainstream house, there is a huge gap in the Deep House and we intend to exploit it and be the main innovators locally.”

He said their focus was on matured audiences who seek “something rare, something of an art that one just can’t find in every corner”.

“Last year the second edition was held at The Deck and we had the privilege to work with one Uni DGeoff M, a renowned deep house spinner from South Africa.  He brought an exclusive international act from Berlin, Germany.”

Uni performed alongside JA PA N and Ashley K. They were supported on the decks by some local DJs.

Deep Taac said the event would underline a whole new milestone for deep house in Lesotho and ensure enhanced global recognition.

Additionally, the show will exhibit a fusion of analogue (vinyl) and digital (CDs) “to deliver the best experience for the revelers.

The post Preps on course for Vinyl Escapade appeared first on Lesotho Times.

Nthatuoa Koeshe  

A LOCAL social club, Team Shanghai recently partnered with Cuban Linx for a blood donation initiative at LNDC Square in Maseru.

The initiative was meant to encourage Basotho youths to donate blood and help mitigate the current blood shortage.

Dubbed “Give the Gift of Life and Save Lives”, the initiative was held under the tagline #Partywithadifference with over 100 people donating blood.

The initiative comes after the Lesotho Blood Transfusion Services (LBTS) last month announced that it was in a dire situation as its stocks had been depleted.

So serious was the situation that patients requiring blood transfusions were being asked by hospitals to bring their relatives or other donors to give them blood. Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital (also known as Tšepong) — the country’s largest referral hospital- had gone to the extent of asking patients’ relatives to donate blood. The hospital also said the blood shortages also delayed the performance of operations on patients and other life-saving medical procedures.

Even Pelonomi Hospital in Bloemfontein was also said to be turning away patients who were referred to them without their own blood units.

LBTS has been facing challenges in collecting enough blood after the Ministry of Education and Training imposed stringent regulations that made it difficult for the LBTS to source blood from learners who were among the biggest blood donors three years ago.

The regulations were imposed after parents complained to the ministry that they were not consulted over health services provided to their children in schools.

LBTS blood donor recruiter Khatala Liphoto recently told the Lesotho Times that the decision has left several patients in need of blood transfusion vulnerable to otherwise treatable conditions.

At the time, Mr Liphoto said they had been left with only five group O positive blood units, eight A positive units, four group B positive units and nine AB positive units.

“The situation is very critical as we ought to have 40 group O units and 10 other blood groups every day. Annually we are supposed to collect at least 8000 blood units.

“The blood shortages are deepening and the situation has been worsened by the Ministry of Education and Training’s regulations that make it difficult for the LBTS to source blood from learners.

“It was said that learning time was taken up by the blood donations and it was also said that parents also demanded to be consulted to give their consent before their children could donate blood.

“We gave out consent forms to learners but this is not working because the forms were not returned to us, thus leaving us with very few donors,” Mr Liphoto said.

Team Shanghai secretary general Rethabile Makhobole told the Weekender that the initiative was necessitated by the need to mitigate the blood crisis.

“Last month we read an article that Lesotho was facing a blood shortage crisis and we thought it would be ideal if we came up an initiative which will help the situation,” Rethabile said.

He said the event came at an opportune time as the festive holidays, which are known to be bloody with many road accidents, are around the corner.

“Apart from people who came but failed to donate blood because of health issues, 110 people donated 55 litres to the blood bank.”

He said Team Shanghai and Cuban Linx found it easy to collaborate on the initiative because they both work with the youths.

Formed this year, Team Shanghai started off as a football club playing on Sundays against other amateur teams in what is popularly known as old-stock games.

The football initiative is aimed to uniting Maseru men but it has grown to attract a diverse following of people among them women.

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Nthatuoa Koeshe

THE fourth edition of the Letsema creatives platform recently brought together food and fashion at a colourful event at Café What in Maseru.

This year’s edition brought together fashion students from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and culinary arts students from Dona@Balos to showcase their craft.

Founder of the platform, Palesa Mercedes Recalde, told the Weekender that they decided to bring together a fusion of food and fashion due to the similarity of their work processes.

“We focused on these two industries because of their similarities in terms of work process,” Palesa said.

“I chose the two institutions as a way of helping their students expand their experiences and create a space where they can freely express their creativity.

“We selected the participating with the assistance of the Limkokwing head of the fashion and Chef Veronica from Dona@Balos.”

Prior to this year’s event, she has held two events of the same nature in Maseru in 2017 and one in Los Angeles in the United States in 2018.

She said Letsema was conceived as a way of bringing together creatives to learn from each other, build each other, help each other and share their talents.

Palesa said plans were underway to hold two similar events next year, one being in Maseru and another in Cape Town.

Last month, Palesa held a panel discussion to gather opinions from different market players on how to perfect the event.

The initiative, she said, opened up participants minds with regards to the fusion.

“During the panel, we watched three videos from culinary and fashion industry experts and that opened our discussion with the local panelists.”

Among the panelists were Maseru Fashion Week Founder Keketso Nthongoa, Kevin Mokotso; 90s Baby Store owner, Nkitsing Kabi, the founder of Kasi Yum, a children’s feeding programme in Khubetsoana.

She said they discussed some of the similarities of their industries and the similarities of the challenges faced by the creatives in both industries.

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Nthatuoa Koeshe

CAFÉ What will on 15 December screen a new locally produced short film titled Moth.

Shot in Morija, the film features Mpho Manare, Thoko Phooko, Natan Makhalanyane and Nthabiseng Mohanela, who are all members of local fashion collective, The Fabric Era.

The film was written and directed by Tshepiso Mahase under her production company 11th District. Moth will be released online next January.

Tshepiso told the Weekender this week that the five-minute film explores the theme of unity. It tells the story of three men who unite into an unknown journey.

She said she chose a short film because the form has “the power to tell relatable stories”.

“They offer a chance to get straight to the point without being overbearing and I think sometimes that’s what we need,” Tshepiso said.

She said short films were engaging to the audience in a unique way.

Tshepiso said they would release the film online to enhance the interaction with the audiences.

“With platforms like Vimeo and YouTube, the access is direct. Social media also makes it easier for audiences to access your work.”

Fabric Era member, Makhalanyane, told the Weekender that they found it easy to work on the film because it complements their drive to form strategic partnerships with other players in the creative industry.

He said while the film was not entirely about fashion, it integrates fashion and storytelling.

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Nthatuoa Koeshe

CAFÉ What will tomorrow host Lesotho’s debut edition of the famed A Market of Some Sort (A-MOSS) event.

The event has previously been held thrice in South Africa at places like Moyo Zoo Lake, Roving Bantu Kitchen & Treks and at the Unknown Union (all in Johannesburg).

Musician Sneiman, who is one of the organisers told the Weekender this week that the event would afford artistes a platform to showcase their craft.

He said A-MOSS fused music, culture, food, fashion and arts. He added that showcase would replicate African culture through different mediums of art.

“As a platform of arts and culture, we value cultural heritage and its respective traditions and through this platform, we promote African culture, both in modern and traditional aspects,” Sneiman said.

“This market showcases live art, live music, traditional and modern arts, live poetry, food, fashion, photography and videography.”

He said the show was carefully packaged with artistic content that is suitable for people of all ages.

Sneiman said during an A-MOSS show, guests can buy merchandise that is being exhibited or arrange for later purchases.

The A-MOSS website is intended to serve as a complete e commerce platform where people can buy items they saw and liked during the shows.

“This makes AMOSS more than just a typical market, it is both a live and an online market that is not limited to a specific location; it moves about art spaces wherever they are situated in the name of preserving African heritage.”

Live music will be provided by Kommanda Obbs, Pitso Rah Makhula and Origin, Mapule, Thumane, Sneiman and Bosco Afreeca while arts exhibitions will be presented by ArtXchange, 54 AlvinLesoli, TumeloMosoeu.

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Nthatuoa Koeshe

HARAMBEE Global Concerts says it expects to fill the 15 000-seater Setsoto Stadium to the rafters when it hosts the Local Annual Music Experience (LAMEX) on 26 December 2019.

Dubbed #FillUpSetsotoStadium, LAMEX will feature the best home-grown talent in genres including Afro-jazz, gospel, famo, kwaito and hip-hop among others.

Harambee Global Concerts was founded in the 1990s by Masitise Seleso and veteran musicians who used to be part of the iconic Sankomota; the late Frank Leepa, Tshepo Tshola and the late music promoter Tšiu Monne.

The company focused on music promotion in Lesotho and South Africa aiming to take local talent to the global level. The company hosted several shows up to 2002 and they took a break due to lack of funding.

Harambee Global Concerts chairperson, Masitise Seleso, said LAMEX aims to encourage locals to appreciate local music.

He said his organisation has now decided to launch LAMEX as an annual event to honour local musicians.

“As a music promotion and recording company, Harambee Global Concerts will also use the platform to officially relaunch its activities in Lesotho,” Seleso said.

“The invasion of our music space by artistes from other countries on local radio stations as well as during live performances have dealt a heavy blow to the local artistes who rely on music for survival.

“We intend to counter-balance this anomaly by introducing LAMEX as an event that people can look forward to on Boxing Day annually.”

Among the performing artistes will be Bhudaza, Mashibi, Tshitso, Pitso Ramakhula and Origins, Mongali Nthako, Sipho Lukhele, Kamohelo Tshola, Majisto, Mystic Margin, Nkosi and four other surprise artistes.

The famo genre will be headlined by Apollo Ntabanyane, Puseletso Seema and Mojalihloho.

According to Masitise, the inclusion of famo on the line-up will give a true reflection of the diversity of local musical styles.

High-flying Tšepe rapper Kommanda Obbs, who plie his trade in South Africa, will lead the hip-hop category. Thebe, Roach, KopanoTheFirst, Juvy, Megahertz, El-Tore, WhyDe, Tao Tash, Sy and Tieho will also perform in this category.

There will also be gospel performances from Bishop Joey Mofoleng, Tshepiso Mpotle, Tehillah, Yada Praise, Sway, Neo Matee, Molupe, JC Crew and Acapella Moments will be part of this category.

Reggae and Dancehall artistes C-Jo, Don Dada, Deda and Maxzhe will also perform at the show.

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Nthatuoa Koeshe

LOCAL film, Molisana, has been nominated for an award at the 2020 Waco Family and Faith International Film Festival in Texas.

The film brushed aside at least 1 600 other films from all over the globe to make it on the shortlist.

The film’s executive producer, Lebohang Motlomelo, said the film would be released early next year.

He said they are hoping to screen it at different festivals before it can be released to the public.

“The film was submitted to international film festivals after it made it onto the official selection list of Lesotho Film Festival in November this year,” Lebohang said.

Molisana was written and directed by Ayesha Khuele while it was produced by Keneuoe Ramaqele under the Vision Street mentorship programme.

Motlomelo said the film revolves around the never told stories about men’s suffering. He said the film also ploughs into the dialogue about the 16 Day of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence commemorated from 25 November to 10 December annually.

Molisana is a story of Lekhetho, a herd boy in the rural mountains of Lesotho, raised by his uncle after the demise of his parents. He gets ambushed and attacked by other herd boys who beat him and steal his uncle’s cattle. Lekhetho goes home to report the matter. However, he is tormented by his uncle who demands his cattle back.

According to the confirmation letter sent to Motlomelo by the Waco Family and Faith International Film Festival, the film will be screened at the inaugural film festival during the weekend of 7 to 8 February 2020 in Texas.

“In our first year of the festival, we received over 1 600 submissions. Our team is thrilled to have your film as a part of our 2020 programme,” the letter reads.

“The Waco Family and Faith International Film Festival is dedicated to empower the creative spirit. Serving with heart and celebrating all.”

The letter also said that in 2020, the Waco Family and Faith International Film Festival will leverage the power of cinema and storytelling to bring the Waco community and more together to celebrate their shared humanity.

The two-day event will feature competition films, Hollywood studio releases presented at the Hippodrome Theater, Film and Faith Soul Sessions at places of worship and professional workshops presented at the Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University.

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Nthatuoa Koeshe 

LABANTWANA Ama Uber hitmakers, Semi T, Miano and Kammu will tomorrow perform at Club Yugo in Maseru in celebration of the song’s feat of selling platinum in four months.

The smash hit was released in August this year and sold gold in a few weeks and has now reached 1 million sales.

Organiser of the event, Teboho Moshoeshoe, said due to the hype created by the song since its release, they thought it would be ideal to bring celebrate its feat along with the artistes in Lesotho.

“We are celebrating the song and using the hype behind the song to make something out of it hence we decided to bring them to Lesotho,” Teboho told the Weekender.

The track has taken the dance scene in South Africa and Lesotho by storm since it dropped. It has also received rave reviews on both television and radio channels.

Among the performers at the event are Skeleton Move hit maker Zanda Zakuza, the trio Semi T, Miano and Kammu and dancer Kamo Mphela (all from South Africa). Local performers include Habzen, Konsept, Box Fresg and Reffy G.

Dancer, Kamo Mphela, is also an Amapiano artiste who went viral this year after her dance video went viral. She found herself trending on Twitter after she shared a short dance video.

Since October this year, she has become a fans’ favourite.

Teboho said revellers should expect more events of the same nature as they will be hosting more Amapiano events this December.

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Staff Writer

ORGANISERS of the first edition of the Gin & Trout Festival say all is now in place for the event.

Starting on Saturday and ending on Sunday at Thaba Bosiu Cultural Village, the festival will run under the theme “Spirit of the Kingdom”.

One of the organisers, Tšokolo Makeka, told the Weekender that they were happy with the preparations so far.

“This is the first festival if it’s kind although there have been others like the Lesotho Wine Festival and the Maletsunyane Braai Festival which promote tourism and lifestyle in Lesotho,” Makeka said.

“We believe the festival goers will make this event what it needs to be and own it.”

The gin and trout pairing may be somewhat a strange combination but Makeka has a perfect reason for naming the festival as such.

“Gin is a playful and diverse spirit that is attached to a different and alternative lifestyle unlike other spirits. One can be creative and mix it with a variety of herbs and fruits… so even Basotho can explore making their own gins which was part of our thinking.

“Gin has different flavours but it doesn’t lose its taste. You can have pineapple gin, blueberry gin and even moringa gin. It is not about it being better than other spirits but people can find a gin that suits their personality and taste.”

While most people view trout fish as an expensive delicacy, Makeka views it as a national dish that is readily available and can be prepared in a variety of ways.

“Trout is a national delicacy and we thought it was prudent that we showcase one of our finest exports and unlock its potential for Basotho through having it in a variety of ways.

“Trout is actually more popular than most people think. It is a healthy fish and it is grown locally. As an alternate and sustainable food source, we believe trout holds lots of potential for Basotho. The French have their snails. Let us have our trout and celebrate it.”

Makeka warned fun lovers not to over-imbibe in gin without mixing it. He said drinkers should take gin moderately and mix it with their favourite cordials. The beauty of gin lies in the mixer and the garnish while the thrust is on the taste instead of the quantity hence drinkers must enjoy responsibly.

The festival will have a market set-up where the organisers are expecting people to support the various business that will run stalls. The stalls are expected to sell an array of goods among them trout, arts and craft and music.

Makeka said the festival would have a family friendly environment hence revellers should not worry about leaving their young children at home.

“We are also proud to have American house DJ Alton Miller joining us on Sunday along with some of the best emerging music talent in Lesotho to entertain the revellers.

“Apart from the kids’ zone, we also have an adult game zone where festival goers can pay to play gin-based games such as morabaraba gin, gin roulette or gin pong.”

He said camping space will also be available for revellers who prefer camping for the night and mix with party lovers.

“There will be no tickets at the gate but they will be available until late in each day at PinsNStripes bar or on +266 5888 7815. That is for control and security. Also no cooler boxes are allowed from outside. We will have speed points inside the venue for purchase but we encourage you to have cash on you to support the different attractions we have in the festival,” Makeka said.

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