Nthatuoa Koeshe
BLANKETS and Bling in collaboration with the Nala Project Community Market are set to wrap up the year with a two-day event set to start on Saturday and end on Sunday at Sefika sa Moshoeshoe in Maseru.
Blankets and Bling is a platform for Basotho artistes and brands to celebrate and complement each other in celebration of celebrate culture and tradition in a modern context.
Mr Maps (born Tlali Mapetla) who is one of the people behind the project told the Weekender that they partnered with the Nala Project Community Market to bring a cultural experience in a family environment. Nala Project Community Market is a community initiative which provides a platform for the public to access locally produced goods and fresh produce as well as local talent and initiatives.
He said the event would have an array of entertainers including local dances and games for both adults and children. He said they would also afford the community to set up stalls to sell gourmet, traditional foods and local craft beers.
“The event will have performances from A Supreme, Honye, Unkle Krack, Charma Exzit, Da Star, The Hitman, Turk, Trybz, Hobbs, Zagro Dj’s, Qekha and the Band and myself,” Mr Maps said.
“It is our policy to engage a strictly local artiste line-up to create a professional platform for local performers and to also incentivise consumers for buying local music.”
He said they ensured that their line-up covers Famo, hip hop, afro pop and indigenous music genres to fully appreciate local talent.
Mr Maps said on Sunday, the Nala Project Community Market will bring another fun-filled edition of the monthly event, with a huge variety of locally produced products for people Christmas shopping as well as fun games and mascots for children.
“This two-day event is a celebration of Basotho Culture, with blankets and bling as well as a platform to continually grow the love and appreciation for local products,” he said.
He said it was also a platform to grow entrepreneurship and its impact on the growth of the country’s economy in an environment where unemployment among the youth continues to rise.
Mr Maps said they have also partnered with Metropolitan Lesotho, Econet Telecom Lesotho, Data Deal and the Maseru City Council to add value to the event.
“Through art, food and culture we can build a stronger society through this event,” Mr Maps said.
