Is Sannere Lesotho’s Biggest Artist Ever?

An excited crowd broke down security barriers to access the golden circle at Sesotho Fashioneng, an event held to celebrate and pay homage to different kinds of Sesotho music at the Maseru Club in Lesotho this past December. Sannere's name had just been announced as next on the line-up, and all attendees wanted to secure a better view of the stage. The excitement was tangible.

For the past year or more, Sannere has unleashed hit after hit onto an unsuspecting yet receptive audience, culminating in the release of his Pha-Balimo EP in 2024. Almost everyone within immediate sight at the show sang along to songs like "Ke Romiloe Nna" and "Hale Felile U Ntjoetse." The latter song is quite a big deal on social media, with everyone from people in remote villages to school children tapping into it.

Sannere logged on that day, a Monday, and found that people were engaging in challenges on TikTok using his song while Facebook audiences were sharing snippets and wondering who he was. At the end of that week, a Friday in late 2023, he got his first paid gig as a performer. "It felt surreal. I thought it was all a dream that I'd wake up from. That's when I decided to work harder," says the artist.

Born Relebohile Monaphathi in a village called Mokema on the outskirts of the Maseru district, Sannere has cited famo musicians like Famole, Hatlane and Sanko as early influences. He's part of a new generation of artists intent on advancing famo music. He is not alone in this pursuit; other artists, including Ntate Stunna, who organized the Sesotho Fashioneng event, and Malome Vector, who helped find producers for Sannere and assisted in recording and releasing his song "Pha-Balimo," share the same goal.

"I found [Malome Vector] last year. After we recorded the EP, he offered to help with my career. He taught me how to sustain myself without relying solely on live performances. We hadn't done much when he passed away," he says. "With "Pha-Balimo," I wanted to thank God and my ancestors for showing me the light when I was on the verge of giving up."

Ancestry and heritage are themes that run through Sannere's music. For instance, in "Ntho'e Ke E Lorileng," he shares a bit about his late mother and her beliefs. "'Mé e n'e le mosali oa morapeli, ea nang le tumelo ea hore balimo b'a thusa / o n'a hlola ntjoetsitse hore ngoan'aka, ke kopa u hlokomele hore litoro lia bua" ("my mother was a praying woman who believed in the power of the ancestors / she always used to tell me, my child, please be aware that dreams speak").

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"Music is spirit, and many artists fail to realize that. I believe in God and the ancestors and consider them in everything I do. They're everything to me," he says. "Love rules everything. Love and pain will always go together, which is why I have a song called ‘Lerato’ and another called ‘Ha Le Felile U Ntjoetse.’ When I sing about love, it's a way for me to provide the right words to someone."

Back at the show, Sannere proves why he is special. His crowd control, mixed with an unmatched amount of energy, is exemplary. Skoen Pampiri joins him for an inspired rendition of "Lekholo La Banna," an occasion that inspires more loud reactions from the audience.