Is Sannere Lesotho’s Biggest Artist Ever?

He went from a gardener with musical aspirations to one of the most revered artists in Southern Africa at the moment.

Lesotho musician Sannere performs onstage at Sesotho Fashioneng.

For the past year, Sannere has unleashed hit after hit onto a receptive audience, culminating in the release of his Pha-Balimo EP.

Photo by Tseliso Monaheng.


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 hisPha-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 toschool children tapping into it.

Sannere was on the verge of quitting music when his song "Lerato" started trending on TikTok. "I blew up the day after I had decided to quit making music. The previous night, I was having a conversation with God about how I felt regarding my lack of progress. I said that it's best if we forget about everything. The next morning, I got a call alerting me that my song was going viral," he tells OkayAfrica.


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, Sannerehas 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, andMalome 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."

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Lesotho musician Sannere performs onstage at Sesotho Fashioneng.

Sannere was on the verge of quitting music when his song "Lerato" started trending on TikTok.

Photo by Tseliso Monaheng.

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").

In Maseru, Sannere's music can be heard everywhere — at barbershops, in taxis and on people's phones. His sound, a combination of vibrant pop chords, animated accordion lines, and hypnotic trap beats courtesy of producers Flash Cortez, Shev-Shengu Chefu, and Blalazonke, is made all the more impactful by his distinctly Sesotho image — a man with a stick and a blanket — and his lyrical content, a poetic landscape of universally applicable topics, like love and sadness.
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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."

Sannere recalls Vector's reaction after they recorded "Ha Le Felile U Ntjoetse." "He was like, 'This is a hit.'He was looking at people's posts on social media, observing] that a lot of people are hurting, and said it's going to be big because a lot of people are going to relate to it."
Lesotho musician Sannere performs onstage at Sesotho Fashioneng.

In Maseru, Sannere's music can be heard everywhere — at barbershops, in taxis, and on people's phones.

Photo by Tseliso Monaheng.

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.

On "Tobaka," he raps: "Chelete ea hau ea tla, u sek'a fetoha ha e fihla" ("Your money's coming, but don't let it change you"). So, I ask how the artist, who used to be a gardener with a music dream, deals with the consequences of fame. "Fame is like normal life when you're indoors," he replies. "The difference comes when you have to go outside and have to smile and take pictures. Sometimes, you're not in the best mood, but you have to pretend to be happy. You also need to work harder as an artist since there are many more people to satisfy."

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