THE late iconic musician and songwriter, Tšepo Tshola will be laid to rest at the Thaba-Bosiu Heroes' Acre on Friday, July 30.

A previous statement had shown that the legendary jazz artiste would be buried at the same venue this weekend.

Due to the prevailing COVID-19 conditions in Lesotho and around the globe, Tshola's funeral shall take place under stringent World Health Organisation (WHO) COVID-19 protocols and regulations, the statement had further noted.
Affectionately known as “The Village Pope” in the music circles, the iconic musician succumbed to COVID-19 related complications on July 15, aged 68.
He was born in Teyateyaneng (TY), Berea on August 15, 1953 and later moved to live in SA to pursue his music career.

The award-winning musician entertained audiences across Southern Africa and Europe for more than four decades, with hits like “Ho Lokile” and “Madambadamba” with the Sankomota band.

Tshola sang with Sankomota for some time in Lesotho, but by the mid-1980s he was working more widely too. He eventually accepted an invitation from jazz trumpeter, Hugh Masekela to record the albums “Techno-Bush” and “Waiting for the Rain in Botswana”.

Meanwhile, Sankomota had recorded their widely acclaimed self-titled debut album in Lesotho in 1983, with an international release the following year. The music combined Sesotho musical roots with sharply contemporary musicianship and a stirring liberation message.

Mokoenya Chele, a musician and Basotho culture activist and connoisseur, discovered Tshola in the early 70’s. He recruited him to join his band the Blue Diamonds, and Tshola dropped out of Lerotholi Polytechnic where he was training as a carpenter.