MASERU — With just over a week left before the Lesotho Haeso Music Awards, some nominees have gone on a campaign spree for votes.
Members of the public are voting via the mobile phone short message service for their favourite nominees in five categories — gospel, jazz, hip-hop, kwaito and famo.
The ceremony for the Lesotho Haeso Music Awards, a brainchild of the Ministry of Tourism, is pencilled in for May 30 at ‘Manthabiseng Convention Centre.
This will be the second edition of the awards, started in 2007.
Refiloe Ramone, an official of the Ministry of Tourism, said some artists were busy canvassing for votes before the gala next week.
“Some of these artists are not popular, so they have started campaigning for more votes from the public,” he said.
He would not say who or how they were doing it.
Ramone said the ceremony will be nowhere near the recently televised South Africa Annual Music Awards gala until the corporate sector pumped in a lot of money.
He however is hopeful that the day will be memorable for Lesotho’s best artists.
“We want our awards to be as big as South Africa’s but that can only be possible with the private sector playing a leading role,” Ramone said.
“We are only setting up the base for the entire private sector to take over because we are not a profit-making organisation.”
The overall winner of the Lesotho Haeso Music Awards will pocket M20 000 while musical instruments will be handed out as prizes as well.
“We tried by all means to run away from the monetary issue because we realised that cash does not develop a group or an artist,” Ramone said.
Meanwhile Ramone said they had overcome a technical glitch with the sms system which had seen some people failing to text their votes through.
“We had encountered some problems with sms lines where some subscribers were failing to vote for their favourite artists,” he said.
“The problem has been resolved and they can vote for their favourite nominees ahead of the awards ceremony.”
Nominees
Gospel: Tehilla Africa, Yadah Praise Family, Majara Music, Khahliso, Lepeli Lisema, Beniso, Pakiso Seqolo, Teboho Nts’inyi, Fako Leshota, Lebusa and Toka and the Gospel Masters.
Jazz: Moshate, Qiloane, Kamohelo Tshola, Senqu Jazz Band, Fatere, Thuso and Morabe oa Thabure.
Kwaito: Spido, Lefate, Manyofi, Mthibo, Mpho Queen and Top Sekatana Kwaito Club.
Hip-hop: Black Component, Mthimkhúlu Mafaesa, DH Squad, Mohapinyane, Tsókolo Qacha, Makhosi Fako and Katiso Mosoeunyane.
Famo: Mantsá, Rabotsoa le Semanyane, Jumbo oa Mosotho, Khomo ea Balisa, Bara ba Manka le Phallang, Phehla Marole, George Mofammere and Together.
