Biography
Lesotho, a compact landlocked country, endured such poverty that during the 1980s a solitary television existed nationwide. Positioned inside one bar, the set drew queues of viewers granted ten-minute slots apiece. Music nonetheless flourished through longstanding customs, among them a local variant of country-and-western tied to the territory’s roaming cattle herders and the fixed practice of reserving a bus window seat for an accordionist. Puseletso Seema might board such a vehicle not as a wandering traditional performer seeking to amuse riders but rather en route to a studio date devoted to contemporary Sotho pop. The typical ensemble featured bass, drums, an assertive electric guitar, and the ever-present accordion. Locally, instruments fall under two headings only: “liletsa tsa matsoho,” those activated by hand, and “liletsa tsa molomo,” those activated by mouth. Professional status for musicians once carried social stigma, yet evolving attitudes within Sotho society have come to honor figures such as Seema, whose buoyant discs have stirred worldwide interest in the region’s sounds. Growth of a domestic recording sector accompanied this shift. Earlier perceptions of Lesotho’s music centered on herdboys’ melodies and the resonant pluck of a specialized zither employed to manage livestock; Seema and fellow artists instead embraced an urban approach that incorporated polished sessions guided by producers. Globe Style issued the album He O Oe Or!, a collaboration between Seema and the group Tau Ea Linare, exemplifying the procedures that emerged as the nation’s music infrastructure expanded. Scouts traveling rural areas commonly identified such talent and scheduled sessions pairing newcomers with established studio ensembles. Rehearsal time remained brief, yet the outcomes frequently matched the spontaneous energy of many American R&B dates. Seema composes most of his material, addressing topics that stretch from agricultural hardships to the pleasures of celebration. One title offers practical advice for anyone explaining a downcast mood while traveling in Lesotho: “Kesetse Mahlomolenu,” rendered in English as “I’ve been left in sorrow.” In 1999 Seema appeared at the Morija Art and Cultural Festival, Lesotho’s inaugural large-scale cultural event.
Albums
