Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa (March 28, 1908 – January 12, 1982) was a prominent

choral A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

music composer in

Sesotho Sotho (), also known as ''Sesotho'' (), Southern Sotho, or ''Sesotho sa Borwa'' is a Southern Bantu languages, Southern Bantu language spoken in Lesotho as its national language and South Africa where it is an official language. Like all Ba ...

Early life

Joshua Mohapeloa, a member of the

Bataung The Taung tribe or Bataung is a tribe of Bantu origin which speaks the Sotho-Tswana group of languages, namely, Setswana, Sepedi, Sesotho and Lozi. "Tau" is a Sotho-Tswana word meaning "Lion", and this animal is their totem. "Bataung" is ...

clan, was born in Molumong in

Lesotho Lesotho, formally the Kingdom of Lesotho and formerly known as Basutoland, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Entirely surrounded by South Africa, it is the largest of only three sovereign enclave and exclave, enclaves in the world, t ...

, Southern Africa. Joshua Mohapeloa's family converted to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

in the 19th century. Both his grandfather Joel Mohapeloa and his father Joel Mohapeloane Mohapeloa were reverends, and it is evident from his works that Christianity influenced Joshua Mohapeloa. After completing his elementary schooling, Joshua Mohapeloa enrolled at the PEMS (

Paris Evangelical Missionary Society The Paris Evangelical Missionary Society (in French, ''Société des missions évangéliques de Paris''), also known as the ''SMEP'' or ''Mission de Paris'', was a Protestant missionary association created in 1822. As with other Christian societie ...

) mission institution Morija Training College from 1923 to 1927. It was at Morija Training College that he studied music and music education, completing his Junior Certificate in 1927.

Education

In 1928 Joshua Mohapeloa enrolled at Fort Hare College, and in 1929 completed his teacher training. Joshua Mohapeloa also enrolled at the

University of the Witwatersrand The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg (), commonly known as Wits University or Wits, is a multi-campus Public university, public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg, South Africa. The universit ...

and became a student of Percival Kirby.

Musical influence

From the early 1930s to 1937, Joshua Mohapeloa was active as the choirmaster of the then Morija Choristers. A number of Mohapeloa's own works began to be performed by the Choristers during this time. In 1935 his first collection of compositions, titled "Meloli le Lithalerre tsa Afrika", was published by the Morija Printing Press and Book Depot. Joshua Mohapeloa is renowned for composing musical works that blended

SeSotho Sotho (), also known as ''Sesotho'' (), Southern Sotho, or ''Sesotho sa Borwa'' is a Southern Bantu languages, Southern Bantu language spoken in Lesotho as its national language and South Africa where it is an official language. Like all Ba ...

themes with Western styles. Joshua Mohapeloa's ambition was at times stifled as is evident in correspondence between T. Mashologu, Counsellor in the office of Lesotho’s High Commission in London, and

Hugh Tracey Hugh Travers Tracey was an English ethnomusicologist. He and his wife collected and archived music from Southern and Central Africa. From the 1920s through the 1970s, Tracey made over 35,000 recordings of African folk music. He popularized the ...

; and in the words of Bonisile Gcisa (an author and expert on the African choral music) at a commemoration event in honor of Johsua Mohapeloa in 2015, where Gcisa stated that Joshua Mohapeloa faced a number of challenges, including attempts by the missionaries to suppress his talent.

Awards

Joshua Mohapeloa was awarded the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) by the British Government in

1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...

according to the 1961 Birthday Honours listing, or 1964 according to Huskisson. In 1974 he was awarded the Knight Commander of Ramts'eatsane by

. He is furthermore known as Poet Laureate of Kingdom of Lesotho. The

National University of Lesotho The National University of Lesotho, the main and oldest university in Lesotho, is located in Roma, Lesotho, Roma, southeast of Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. The Roma valley is broad and is surrounded by a barrier of rugged mountains which pro ...

conferred on him an honorary doctorate, Honorary D.Litt., in 1978.

Publications

* "Coronation song" in 1937. Originally this work celebrated the coronation of

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Through adaptations and reprints in 1945, 1955, 1966 and 1980, with the mid-1970 version transforming into ‘Lesotho Lefa la Rōna’ (Lesotho Our Heritage) * Meloli le Lithallere tsa Afrika I frican Songs and Extemporary Harmonizations book 1 Foreword by Akim. L. Sello, Preface by J.P. Mohapeloa. Morija, Lesotho: Morija Sesuto Book Depot. 1935; 1953; 1977; 1983; 1988. 2 songsref name="ACE" /> * Meloli le Lithallere tsa Afrika II. Morija, Lesotho: Morija Sesuto Book Depot. 1939; 1945; 1955; 1980; 1996. 2 songsref name="ACE" /> * Meloli le Lithallere tsa Afrika III. Morija, Lesotho: Morija Sesuto Book Depot. 1947; 1966; 1977; 1983; 1988. 8 songsref name="ACE" /> * Khalima-Nosi tsa ’Mino Oa Kajeno hining Examples of Today’s Music Harnessing Salient Features of Modern African Music. Preface by J.P. Mohapeloa. Morija: Morija Sesuto Book Depot. 1951; 2002. songsref name="ACE" /> * Christmas, Balisa, Hosanna, O, phokolang, Molimo ke moea, Silevera le gauda, Ahe, Moren’a Khanya! and Na le ’na? in Hosanna: Lipina tsa Kereke osanna: Church Songs Morija: Morija Sesuto Book Depot. 1955 wo printings ongs 1, 2, 4, 10, 19, 20, 22, 24ref name="ACE" /> * Lifela tsa Sione ongs of Zion Morija: Morija Sesuto Book Depot, 1st ed. 1844; reprinted many times, last reprint 2010. ymn 445 (= Hosanna 19)ref name="ACE" /> * Butha-Buthe, Leheshe-heshe, Lehlomela la Thesele le letle-letle, Leribe, Maloti a Lesotho, and Quthing, in Binang ka Thabo ing with JoyMazenod: Mazenod Institute, 1963 * Meluluetsa ea Ntšetso-pele le Bosechaba Lesotho nthems for the Development of the Lesotho Nation Foreword by Dibarata Ghosh. Preface by J.P. Mohapeloa. Cape Town: Oxford University Press. 1976. 5 songsref name="ACE" /> * Mohapeloa, J.P. 1976. ‘Selelekela’ reface In Meluluetsa ea Ntšetso-pele le Bosechaba Lesotho, J.P. Mohapeloa, 13-14. Cape Town: Oxford University Press.

Early life

Education

Musical influence

Awards

Publications

References

Further reading