Mohalenyane Phakela
RENOWNED South African poet, Phomolo “Flex” Sekamotho, will on Saturday perform at Victory Restaurant in Moshoeshoe II in a show also featuring Lesotho’s Verbal Reigns.
Flex recites verses with the backing of his He & I band in a style somewhat akin to hip-hop. However, the Welkom-based lyricist describes his craft as performance poetry.
In an interview this week with the Weekender, Flex said the group’s style was a “journey of poetry through a maze of music”, adding the band comprised of a drummer, acoustic and bass guitarists, a pianist and backing vocalist.
“I can describe our art as poetry in threads of harmony or journey of poetry through a maze of music, with the band serving the role of complementing the spoken word,” he said.
“Rap is an extension of poetry and they are both forms of expression. I don’t think there is a vast distinction between the two. I am a poet who recites or raps depending on how I wish to convey a particular message.”
Flex said he fell in love with Lesotho during his first visit in 2014, adding that he was always keen to return since then.
“I performed in Lesotho for the first time in 2014 at the Wordliners poetry event. I fell in love with Lesotho’s poetry scene which is teeming with young and creative writers. That is why I was eager to come back and have my own show,” he said.
“I had an opportunity to connect with a lot of young creative writers from the Mountain Kingdom from whom I have learned a lot.
“In the long run, I hope to facilitate workshops that foster the exchange of ideas between poets from the two countries since it is a vehicle for social change.”
