Mapetle a Hukung

(Hukung’s Delicious Food)

R39.00

ISMN
979-0-804001-80-8;979-0-804001-81-5
Catalogue No
JPM 041
Notation
Dual notation (staff & tonic solfa), Staff notation
Scoring
choir SATB
Edition
Joshua Pulumo Mohapeloa Critical Edition
Category

Mohapeloa first published ‘Mapetle a Hukung’ in Morija in 1939 as the ninth of 32 songs in Meloli le Lithallere tsa Afrika ka J.P. Mohapeloa: Buka ea Bobeli (African Songs and Extemporary Harmonizations by J.P. Mohapeloa: Book II). It is one of his best comic songs, the ‘food’ in question being alcohol: a potent home brewed maize beer (‘skokian’) mixed with brandy (‘gau fang’). The music pivots around two or three chords that give it a ‘Joburg township’ jazzy feel, notwithstanding the rural Lesotho setting of the song. The place Hukung, which the protagonists of the song were coming from, is also called Ha Mahlelebe.