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The first ever Lifaqane-Mfecane Music Festival took place in Maseru, Lesotho on Saturday the 2nd of May 2015.
Organized by Ancestral Collective, a new nonprofit organization developed and structured to create platforms and send a strong messages to Africans to remember and know their history, know who they really are, be proud of and celebrate their cultures, customs and traditions, the festival brought together on one stage the likes of renowned Lesotho artists Mantsa, Apollo Ntabanyane, Tsepo Tshola and South African artists Thandiswa Mazwai, Phuzekhemisi and Ntombethongo to name a few.
Through song and dance, the festival aimed to reflect on the history of the Basotho people, to pay honour to all the Basotho ancestors and celebrate a wide array of cultures-the core vision being to expose communities to networks of knowledge, funding and economic opportunities that will develop them.
Themed around heritage, history, culture and tradition, the festival was admittedly, more than just a crucible of culture, heritage and music that aimed to “awaken one’s Spirit to inform a purposefully driven life”. It has echoed its core vision of enabling Africans to better their communities and their people. It was a platform that aimed to instill pride one’s African heritage and reawaken purpose through immersing oneself in heritage that spans over two centuries.
Lereko Ntshona the event organizer says “for a long time Lifaqane-Mfecane has described a period of widespread chaos in this part of Africa between 1815 and 1840. Having an event such as this has seen Ancestral Collective succeed in creating a mutually engaging and educational platform for our African people. The good of this event is that it has honoured history and celebrated our ancestral dynasty and did not compromise on educating and engaging the diverse audience we had on the day”.
The Ancestral Collective Lifaqane-Mfecane Music Festival, was a very vibrant mix of local and international artists with the core purpose of reaching out to international audiences and humanizing them on the rich history that the African continent has.
“We have been passed on a nightstick that is ever burning, and Ancestral Collective has thus fully embraced the notion of igniting our African people with this flame.
This was the first ever festival of its kind in the continent at a prime phase which marks a second century since the 1815 chaos and Ancestral Collective is thus honoured to be the custodian brand that engages the African people at a grassroots approach in ensuring we are never forgetful of where we come from” says Lereko.
