‘I see Lekompo going global' – Shandesh rises to stardom like Di Chopper

News24

23-04-2025

Tiktok is buzzing with a different kind of music.
Catchy, attention-drawing and pulling.
It's left people wondering where the music comes from, others are interested to know what the lyrics mean and who's behind this growing genre.
Everyone is stunned by how catchy the songs are.
If it's not Ga Mmapula, it's Skeem Saka, Sdudla or Slender, or Di Chopper.
All these are Lekompo hits with one brain behind them, Rakgoale 'Shandesh' Machethe.
Lekompo is a dynamic South African music genre that originates from Limpopo, seamlessly fusing traditional rhythms with captivating lyrics.
Speaking to Drum about where and how it all began, the 21-year-old says she started recording music at just 14 years old.
'I fell in love with music at a young age. I joined the school church choir so that I can keep what I love close to me. I started recording my own music in 2018 and that's when I got my breakthrough.'
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Given how young she was, she thought it would take time for her to make a name for herself but to her surprise, her first single titled Lomolo got her recognised beyond her wildest dreams, securing her small gigs in her hometown, Solomondale in Limpopo.
From then on, 'I didn't see it as a hobby anymore but my purpose'.
"I didn't get introduced to it; I was inspired by bolobedu music. I was influenced by sounds from the streets. I started blending different rhythms that resonated with me and overtime, I realised that I was developing something fresh and different."
The fresh and different sound is now best known as Lekompo music and Shandesh herself has become the first female artist to ever introduce this genre in the industry.
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As she grew in her craft and the genre broke out of the Limpopo province, Shandesh admits that she was scared people wouldn't get it because it's a tribal genre.
'I thought they would reject it, but I had to trust my gut and keep pushing because I believed in the sound, and I knew someone outside would too.'
Seeing that it has turned out exactly like that, with the responses being overwhelmingly humbling, she says that every positive response to her work reminds her that she's onto something powerful.
'Every share, dance video, shoutout shows that the sound is alive and growing.'
It's evident that she has broken out of life traps.
In her latest single, Di Chopper she celebrates how God makes people who were believed to not stand a chance in succeeding in life, fly high!
With her music now making rounds on social media, getting recognition from some international content creators, she tells Drum how proud she is to witness the genre form a movement.
'This is my lifetime breakthrough, not because of the recognition but because it allows me to express my identity and culture freely. It's not just music; it's a movement now.'
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"Lekompo is raw, energetic and rooted in street culture. It's different because it's unfiltered and it carries that rough, honest vibe that people can feel. It's created for the people. I love that I got to shape something from the ground up. There's freedom in that. I also love seeing young people resonate with it, dance to it and even create their own take on it," she adds.
Every now and again, Lekompo artists and its supporters gather for a balcony mix where the culture is captured and celebrated.
'Lekompo balcony mix is not mine, I'm just supporting the movement that is close to my heart, and I hope people can also support it so that it can be known nationwide or worldwide one of the good days.'
'I see Lekompo going global but still staying rooted in our culture. It's going to be a beautiful thing to watch growing,' she concludes.