Kiri ‘a Tšoana

This song, first published in 1939, is highly descriptive of a gathering storm in its portrayal of splattering rain, thunderclaps and flashes of lighting. Thunderstorms in Lesotho are very common in summer (November-January) and sound all the more spectacular in the small kingdom’s mountainous terrain. Mohapeloa dwells on that sound – the build up of  thunderclaps and the heavy downpours that follow them. ‘Kiri ‘a Tšoana’ reminds us of the thirstiness of a country where subsistence farmers depend for their livelihood on good annual summer rains. ‘Let it rain! Bring it on!’ is the message of the song.