Selective Live Music experience with Morena Leraba

MORENA LERABA is the stage name of Teboho Mochaoa, a musician and shepherd from Matholeng, a village in

the Mafeteng region south of Lesotho’s capital, Maseru. In 2017, Morena Leraba formed his eponymous group

in Johannesburg with other musicians, blending traditional Sesotho music with cross-cultural influences to

mould a singular sound imbued with the enigma of a shepherd from Lesotho mountains.

Over the past nine years, Morena Leraba has become a globally recognized figure through a genre-defying sound

(inspired by Famo music from Lesotho) propelled by electrifying live performances, high-profile collaborations,

and his 2023 debut record, Fela sa Ha Mojela. Released by The Good Times Co and Permanent Record,

the EP pays tribute to the songs of his home region, capturing his ability to fuse Famo-inspired vocals with

diverse musical influences into a sound that is psychedelic, entrancing, and dynamic.

Famo, a sub-genre of Sesotho traditional music and poetry, is deeply rooted in Morena Leraba’s home district

of Mafeteng and was introduced as early as the 1920s when Basotho men were migrant labourers in the South

African mines. “I understand Famo,” he says. “But because we also have influences from elsewhere, I guess I’ve

been reimagining Sesotho traditional music. Coming to Johannesburg and meeting the musicians who have

shaped this journey was, in a way, the manifestation of that reimagination.”

His alter-ego, imagery, and lyrics celebrate the shepherd’s charisma, weaving together narratives of rural life

with reflections on his experiences in Johannesburg and beyond. Fela sa Ha Mojela is enriched by the voices of

fellow Basotho migrant workers whom he commutes with, and whose stories inform its themes: “These are

stories of migration. Labour in the informal sector. Johannesburg and its hardships. Hope. Finding strength

and courage. Spiritual calling. Death, and having to live with the memory of loved ones.”

Since emerging onto the scene, Morena Leraba has become a sought-after collaborator. Notable projects

include Major Lazer’s 2021 album Music is the Weapon – Reloaded (Mad Decent), where he appeared on

Hands Up alongside South Africa’s Moonchild Sanelly; Johannesburg with Sibot and Gruff Rhys (formerly of

Super Furry Animals), the first single from EGOLI (2019) by Damon Albarn’s Africa Express; We No Be Machine

(Strut Records, 2020) by the London-based collective ONIPA; Harare, the lead single from Johannesburg’s

BLK JKS’ 2021 album Abantu – Before Humans (Glitterbeat Records); and Bubbling (Mawimbi Records, 2021),

a collaboration with Paris-based Mawimbi and South African producer and his mentor Spoek Mathambo.