Heart Breakers
Mohalenyane Phakela
FOR most entertainers in Lesotho, earning a living through their craft is a farfetched dream given the unrewarding nature of the market.
However, popular dance troupe Heart Breakers have managed to buck the trend by becoming one of the most sought after acts in the country due to their scintillating dance moves.
The all-male trio consists of Motikoe “Guluva” Leina, Molemo “Lemza” Sekate and Katello “Konkozy” Sello. With their routines, which consist of traditional, Hip Hop, Pantsula and Sbujwa, the Heart Breakers stand out among other dancers since they don’t focus on a single dance style.
As a result of their flexibility, the Mazenod-based trio is able to perform at various functions such as corporate events and public shows around the country.
However, according to Lemza the Heart Breakers’ beginnings were far from plain sailing as they only made headway five years after the group was formed.
“We were initially five when we started in 2009, and it was all about having fun back then. However, in 2014 the other two members left the group as they were still in high school while the three of us had completed our Form E,” he said.
“We landed our first major contract in 2014 from Econet Telecom Lesotho when the telecommunications company was introducing its Spache Fono product. That marked our career break as the company engages us in all their campaigns.
“We have also worked with such companies such as Mass 24.6 Media and Standard Lesotho Bank which we are still working with today.”
Lemza said they drew inspiration to pursue dance as a full-time career from South African rapper Cassper Nyovest.
“We decided to focus on developing our craft since it was paying the bills. We are greatly inspired by Cassper as he is a high school dropout but is making a lot of money through his talent. So, like him, we will make it,” he said.
“Our goal is to perform in different countries since we have already made a name for ourselves here at home. We also aspire to work with (South African popular House duo) Black Motion.”
The secret to the group’s success, Lemza said, was constant practice and development.
“We consider dance as our day job, so we practice from 1pm to 5pm every day except Sundays. What keeps us together is a can-do attitude. We regard every problem as an obstacle that needs to be overcome,” he said.
“My encouragement to up-and-coming dancers is for them to be passionate about their craft and believe in themselves. Dance is not as easily marketable as music here in Lesotho.
“We cannot make use of radio stations to market ourselves as musicians do, and it is also not easy to get booked at various events as promoters focus mostly on music. It takes a lot of patience and dedication to be recognized in Lesotho.”
