Two of Lesotho’s most celebrated and popular musicians, Ntate Stunna and Sannere, will not feature on a commemorative song being produced to mark the country’s 60th anniversary of independence.
The song is a joint initiative between the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) and the Lesotho Music Rights Association (LEMRA), bringing together artists from different generations and musical genres to celebrate Lesotho’s heritage, unity and national identity.
Sannere confirmed that he was invited to participate in the project but said his demanding schedule prevented him from taking part.
“I was invited, but unfortunately I could not be part of it because of the amount of work I currently have on my hands,” Sannere said.
Ntate Stunna, meanwhile, said his decision not to participate was a professional one after he considered the terms and scope of the engagement.
“I was actually approached to be part of the project. Unfortunately, after receiving the full terms and scope of what was required, we weren’t able to reach an agreement that made sense for my participation,” said Ntate Stunna.
He stressed that his absence should not be interpreted as a lack of interest in celebrating Lesotho’s milestone.
“So it’s not really a case of me not wanting to celebrate Lesotho’s 60th Independence. You know how deeply I care about Lesotho and our culture. It was simply a professional decision around the terms of the engagement,” he said.
“I would have loved to be part of the song under the right arrangement,” he added.
The development comes as preparations intensify for Lesotho’s 60th Independence celebrations, with the song expected to form part of the official celebrations.
Speaking at a press conference in Maseru on Monday, LTDC Chief Executive Officer Mamello Morojele said the initiative was aimed at promoting patriotism, unity and national pride through music and culture.
Morojele called on Basotho to embrace the initiative and participate in the celebrations, saying the 60th anniversary presented an opportunity for every Mosotho to become part of the country’s history.
She also encouraged musicians invited to participate in the project to give their best, describing the initiative as a firm invitation from the Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture for Basotho to come together and celebrate their country.
She said the song forms part of Tourism Month activities and that the media briefing was held to provide an update on preparations for the project.
LTDC Head of Strategic Marketing Phomolo Lebotsa said the creative arts play an important role in tourism and the economy, noting that music is deeply connected to African culture and celebrations.
“As Lesotho celebrates 60 years of independence, it is appropriate for the country to have a song that reminds Basotho of their identity, culture and patriotism,” said Lebotsa.
He said the initiative seeks to bring together Basotho artists to promote the country through Sesotho, creativity and music, while inspiring future generations and reminding Basotho of what distinguishes them as a nation.
Lebotsa said culture was also an important component of tourism, as visitors were interested in experiencing how people live and learning about their traditions.
For his part, LEMRA’s Francis Ntlhoki said the association had been tasked by the Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture with coordinating the participating artists and ensuring that the Independence song was produced to the required standard.
He said LEMRA had identified artists who could contribute to the project while taking into consideration different musical genres, generations and the overall message of the composition.
According to Ntlhoki, the song is intended to promote unity, Basotho culture, youth empowerment and love for the country.
A total of 16 artists have been brought together for the project, although the process has faced challenges, including financial considerations.
In an exclusive interview with Newsday on the sidelines of the media briefing, Ntlhoki confirmed that both Ntate Stunna and Sannere had been approached to participate in the project.
“They were indeed invited to be part of the song. They were sent emails and made aware that their contribution is on an honorarium basis. Unfortunately, they declined, citing that the fee is too low,” he said.
Each participating artist was offered an honorarium of M12,500.
Ntlhoki said the song was now nearing completion, with only two artists still expected to finalise their contributions.
The song is expected to be performed as part of the celebrations marking Lesotho’s 60 years of independence.
Summary
- Morojele called on Basotho to embrace the initiative and participate in the celebrations, saying the 60th anniversary presented an opportunity for every Mosotho to become part of the country’s history.
- She also encouraged musicians invited to participate in the project to give their best, describing the initiative as a firm invitation from the Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture for Basotho to come together and celebrate their country.
- For his part, LEMRA’s Francis Ntlhoki said the association had been tasked by the Ministry of Tourism, Sports, Arts and Culture with coordinating the participating artists and ensuring that the Independence song was produced to the required standard.
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