Famo
Encyclopedia
Famo is a type of music from Lesotho
in Africa
consisting of singing accompanied by the accordion
, a drum and occasionally a bass
. It originated in the drinking dens of migrant workers from Lesotho trying to relax after working in the mines in the 1920s but is now a popular form of music for Sesotho speakers.
, famo consists of male or female singing and ululation
s. Instrumental support comes from an accordion, a drum and a bass. Songs often refer to urban life, and female singers can use their singing to challenge their male counterparts.
migrant labour from Lesotho
into South African mines in the 1920s led to the development of famo. It originated in the setolotolo bow songs that the menfolk would sing as they walked along, alternating between the bow to fill in the chorus and the voice as the lead part. With the introduction of European instruments, the korosetina (concertina
) and koriana (accordion
) were adopted. The concertina was initially favoured as it could be played whilst singing
and was easily carried but the accordion was eventually favoured for its bigger sound which was better for dancing.
The music and singing combination of famo was performed in the shebeen
s where the workers drank and chatted and also down in the mines whilst they toiled. The name famo came from the phrase ho re famo, to flare the nostrils or to throw up one's garments. The dancing girls who had followed the men to South Africa and entertained them in the shebeens perfected a dance with their short skirts that allowed them to artfully flick up the skirt, exposing their naked rear. The performers were careful not to wear underwear.
In 1963 reforms to South African regulations meant the repatriation of thousands of women and famo performers and shebeen danceers were forced back to Lesotho. This encouraged the creation of ensembles that were rounded out by a drummer. The moropa drum they used was a 20 litre tar can topped by a piece of inner tube as the drumhead
, with manyenenyene, metal bottle tops or jangles, to provide a jingling alternative to the thump of the drum. The drumsticks themselves were made from slices of tire.
Since the 1920s music companies had been looking for African music they could commercialise. What turned the music of the shebeens into a national music for the Basotho was the rise of major recording personalities amongst the famo ensembles.
led Ntabanyane to leave and set up his own group. in 1974 he even declared himself "King of Famo" at a concert at Maseru
's Airport Hotel that was attended by Her Majesty 'MaMohato, wife of Lesotho's King Moshoeshoe II.
Later successful artists include David Sello Moatung's Tau ea Linare in the 1980s and southern Lesotho's Mahosana Akaphamong. It was hard for many to give up their normal jobs and make a living from famo performances and records, but some shebeens would offer paid competitions for female singers, the most renowned being Puseletso Seema, a veteran with 40 years of performance experience.
Mosotho Chakela
is a current star in famo music, having performed at the Macufe Mangaung African Cultural Festival and Morija Arts & Cultural Festival
. In 2006 Chakela was awarded a South African Traditional Music Award for best musician in the famo music category.
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
consisting of singing accompanied by the accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
, a drum and occasionally a bass
Bass (instrument)
Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
. It originated in the drinking dens of migrant workers from Lesotho trying to relax after working in the mines in the 1920s but is now a popular form of music for Sesotho speakers.
Characteristics
As a very popular form of music in LesothoMusic of Lesotho
Lesotho is a Southern African nation surrounded entirely by South Africa. The largest ethnic group is the Basotho. The Basotho culture is immersed in musical traditions.-National Anthem:The national anthem of Lesotho is "Lesotho Fatse La Bontata Rona"...
, famo consists of male or female singing and ululation
Ululation
A is a long, wavering, high-pitched vocal sound resembling a howl with a trilling quality. It is produced by emitting a high pitched loud voice accompanied with a rapid movement of the tongue and the uvula. The term ululation is an onomatopoeic word derived from Latin...
s. Instrumental support comes from an accordion, a drum and a bass. Songs often refer to urban life, and female singers can use their singing to challenge their male counterparts.
History
The introduction of BasothoBasotho
The ancestors of the Sotho people have lived in southern Africa since around the fifth century. The Sotho nation emerged from the accomplished diplomacy of Moshoeshoe I who gathered together disparate clans of Sotho–Tswana origin that had dispersed across southern Africa in the early 19th century...
migrant labour from Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
into South African mines in the 1920s led to the development of famo. It originated in the setolotolo bow songs that the menfolk would sing as they walked along, alternating between the bow to fill in the chorus and the voice as the lead part. With the introduction of European instruments, the korosetina (concertina
Concertina
A concertina is a free-reed musical instrument, like the various accordions and the harmonica. It has a bellows and buttons typically on both ends of it. When pressed, the buttons travel in the same direction as the bellows, unlike accordion buttons which travel perpendicularly to it...
) and koriana (accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
) were adopted. The concertina was initially favoured as it could be played whilst singing
and was easily carried but the accordion was eventually favoured for its bigger sound which was better for dancing.
The music and singing combination of famo was performed in the shebeen
Shebeen
A shebeen was originally an illicit bar or club where excisable alcoholic beverages were sold without a licence.The term has spread far from its origins in Ireland, to Scotland, Canada, the United States, England,...
s where the workers drank and chatted and also down in the mines whilst they toiled. The name famo came from the phrase ho re famo, to flare the nostrils or to throw up one's garments. The dancing girls who had followed the men to South Africa and entertained them in the shebeens perfected a dance with their short skirts that allowed them to artfully flick up the skirt, exposing their naked rear. The performers were careful not to wear underwear.
In 1963 reforms to South African regulations meant the repatriation of thousands of women and famo performers and shebeen danceers were forced back to Lesotho. This encouraged the creation of ensembles that were rounded out by a drummer. The moropa drum they used was a 20 litre tar can topped by a piece of inner tube as the drumhead
Drumhead
A drumhead is a membrane stretched over one or both of the open ends of a drum. The drumhead is struck with sticks, mallets, or hands so that it vibrates and the sound resonates through the drum.-History:...
, with manyenenyene, metal bottle tops or jangles, to provide a jingling alternative to the thump of the drum. The drumsticks themselves were made from slices of tire.
Since the 1920s music companies had been looking for African music they could commercialise. What turned the music of the shebeens into a national music for the Basotho was the rise of major recording personalities amongst the famo ensembles.
Artists
In the late 1960s the first major recording artists to make a living from famo were Tau ea Matsekha (Lion of Matseka, Matseeka is an area in Northern Lesotho) made up of Forere Motloheloa (accordionist) and Apollo Ntabanyane (vocalist/composer). The pair met and honed their musical act in the mines and shebeens but their success with albums such as Peete Kea Falla (Peete's Place I'm Quitting) released by EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
led Ntabanyane to leave and set up his own group. in 1974 he even declared himself "King of Famo" at a concert at Maseru
Maseru
Maseru is the capital of Lesotho. It is also the capital of the Maseru District. Located on the Caledon River, bordering South Africa, Maseru is Lesotho's only sizable city, with a population of approximately 227,880 . The city was established as a police camp and assigned as the capital after the...
's Airport Hotel that was attended by Her Majesty 'MaMohato, wife of Lesotho's King Moshoeshoe II.
Later successful artists include David Sello Moatung's Tau ea Linare in the 1980s and southern Lesotho's Mahosana Akaphamong. It was hard for many to give up their normal jobs and make a living from famo performances and records, but some shebeens would offer paid competitions for female singers, the most renowned being Puseletso Seema, a veteran with 40 years of performance experience.
Mosotho Chakela
Mosotho chakela
Mokete Shadrack Chakela, more commonly known as Mosotho Chakelaor just Chakela, was born 1963 in Mafeteng, Lesotho in Southern Africa. He is a cultural music singer in a popular Lesotho musical tradition called famo.-Music:...
is a current star in famo music, having performed at the Macufe Mangaung African Cultural Festival and Morija Arts & Cultural Festival
Morija Arts & Cultural Festival
Morija Arts & Cultural Festival, also known as Morija Festival, is an annual event held in Morija, a large village in the Maseru District of Lesotho...
. In 2006 Chakela was awarded a South African Traditional Music Award for best musician in the famo music category.