Lesotho: Sky Alpha HD radio launches Rap Archive project

The project is funded by the Sound Connects Fund, an initiative by the Music In Africa Foundation (MIAF) and Goethe-Institut. The Sound Connects Fund is made possible with the financial contribution of the European Union and the support of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.

The Rap Archive is the brainchild of Sky Alpha HD founder and executive director Tello Leballo and filmmaker and writer Tseliso Monaheng. Leballo and Monaheng are project manager and creative director, respectively.

“It is indeed an absolute honour to get this project which recognises the rich history behind rap music in the Mountain Kingdom off the ground,” Leballo said. “A humble gratitude to the Sound Connects Fund, Music in Africa Foundation, Goethe-Institut, the European Union in Lesotho and all supporting partners. A special thanks to Tseliso Monaheng for his deep passion for the arts, and for rap music in particular.”

Sky Alpha HD, Leballo says, is designed “to truly appreciate the rap culture and help set a deserving standard for not just rap music, but music and arts in general in Lesotho.”

The Rap Archive will focus on an experimental writing programme on native languages, a film that explores the history of rap music and hip hop culture in Lesotho and a podcast series highlighting Southern Africa’s hip hop scene.

“I believe that it is important to create for the self, first and foremost, especially now when metrics and numbers determine who gets provided with opportunities,” Monaheng said. “And that is exactly what happened when I hit up Dallas T [Tello Leballo] with this idea. It was just us doing what we know best – hip hop: engaging it, critiquing it, stretching its limits, and highlighting the socio-economic benefits of the art form. That we received this support says a lot about the calibre of people — from judges to the entire MIAF team — that we are dealing with.”

Monaheng also thanked European Union in Lesotho for its unwavering support. “We give thanks, not forgetting how supportive the European Union in Lesotho has been to our institutions in Lesotho and hope that other organisations can follow suite in recognising the radical education that a project such as this can provide, especially now when disinformation is rife, and when it oftentimes feels like a war against memory is being waged.”