How South Africa’s Famo music gave birth to Lesotho’s ‘terrorist’ gangs

Lesotho’s government has banned some Famo music groups, branding them ‘terrorist’ organisations as violence escalates.

Maseru, Lesotho – On a sunny afternoon, a white minibus taxi carrying 22 passengers pulled out of a crowded bus station in Johannesburg and headed to neighbouring Lesotho, the landlocked kingdom inside South Africa’s borders.

The moment the minibus got on the highway, the driver switched on the radio and the speakers crackled to life with the sound of a solo accordion – the intro to a well-known Famo song.

“I could listen to this music all day,” said one passenger, a young man in blue workman overalls, but worn stylishly to make a fashion statement instead of for industrial use. Around him, many other passengers, most Lesotho nationals, bobbed their heads and sang along as the drums and vocals on the track kicked in.

Famo, a genre of music that blends traditional Southern African songs and Western instruments, first emerged a century ago among migrant mining communities in South Africa. The music, characterised by heavy use of the accordion fused with guitar picking from the maskandi style, a subgenre of Zulu folk music, is greatly loved by many Basotho.

But in recent years, Famo has become notorious beyond dance halls and concert venues. Fierce rivalry between some fans and singers has caused deadly gang warfare in Lesotho. Recently, the violence has exacerbated so much that the government banned some Famo groups and branded them “terrorist” organisations.