10 April 2015

Paying tribute to history, honouring our ancestors and celebrating our cultures, Lifaqane-Mfecane describes a period of widespread chaos and disturbance in southern Africa during the period between 1815 and about 1840. It is Collective in 2015.

Submitted by: Kholekile Mnisi

Thaba-Bosiu, in Maseru Lesotho, 02 May 2015: Ancestral Collective Lifaqane-Mfecane Music Festival, is set to be a vibrant mix of local and international artists.

On Saturday 02 May 2015 (from 14:00 – 22:00), bringing together on one stage the likes of renowned Lesotho artists: Mantsa, Apollo Ntabanyane, Tsepo Tshola and South African artists; Thandiswa Mazwai, Phuzekhemisi, Ntombethongo and HHP, the Lifaqane-Mfecane festival  hosted by Ancestral Collective is  more than just a festival. 

Themed around heritage, history, culture and tradition, the festival is admittedly, a crucible of culture, heritage and music that aims to awaken one’s Spirit to inform a purposefully driven life which enables them to better their communities and their people.

 Through song and dance, the festival aims to reflect on the history of our people, pay honour to all our ancestors and celebrate our wide array of cultures. Featured South African artist Thandiswa Mazwai is one true reflection of what the festival aims to uphold as its core mandate.

 Amongst the many accolades under her arm such as the Metro FM Awards: Best Female Artist, Kora Africa Music Awards: Best Female Artist in Southern Africa, Best Female Artist for the whole of Africa as well as the Pan African Language Board: Song of the Decade to name a few, the festival promises to have this varied display of pure artistic essence while promoting ethnic musical talent from Lesotho.

Known  for  his  charisma  and  deep  rooted  Setswana  lyrics,  Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP)  is  an eloquent portray of what the festival aims to instill. As one of South Africa’s most loved and recognised Rap and Hip Hop artists, HHP is nothing short of a musical phenomenon. With South African Music Award wins including: Best Male Artist, Best Rap Album and Best Hip Hop Artist, as well as having shared the stage with top international artists such as Snoop Dog, Jamie Cullum and Angelique Kidjo, HHP is a key artist to feature in an event of this kind. Performing in Setswana, isiZulu, Sesotho, English and other languages, HHP is an ambassador for the colourful linguistic diversity of South Africa, an aptitude recognised by the Pan-South African Language Board, which presented this artist with the Multilingualism Award in 2008.

 As the cherry on top of this vast festival displaying the legacy and the nation of Lesotho, “The Village Pope” Tsepo Tshola, a Lesotho born musical icon and legend in the African music scene will be gracing the audience with an opulent display of his musical gift nurtured over decades.

The Festival will be hosted at the globally renowned Thaba-Bosiu Cultural Village. The cultural village is aimed at presenting, promoting and preserving the cultural heritage of Basotho as well as influencing the present and future Basotho generations and international visitors to highly regard the culture of Basotho. The facility is well known to offer a unique tourism product through the provision of the Basotho cultural and traditional lifestyle in aspects of housing, entertainment, arts, crafts as well as indigenous plants.

“The venue ties the knot as a reverberation for the preservation of indigenous culture and the inter-generational knowledge transfer as far as tradition and heritage are concerned” says the founder of VIP Guest, Lereko Ntshona.

Mr Ntshona further reiterates that crowds can expect to be treated to a vast display of arts through song and while at it, Thaba-Bosiu will not disappoint with its bold richness of culture and history. “One is taken through an intense reflection of the different Basotho tribes and how they lived…something that rarely happens” says Ntshona while adding the statement...”come and be treated to uncompromised true Sesotho indigenous heritage.”

Tickets are available at Computicket:  www.computicket.com and Shoprite Checkers for R150-00 and R200-00 at the door.