Lemo’s love for hymns drives music career
Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Sunday November 7, 2021 09:30
In an interview with Arts & Culture, Lemo said she started signing at church during Sunday school classes and youth days. Back then she had a heart for traditional hymns. However, she released a traditional hymn single with the Setswana and English renditions. This single is a tribute to the world on the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Having been raised in UCCSA and having a majority of family members being Adventists, I enjoyed singing traditional songs. I would get my grandmother and her sisters to teach me new hymns and I wanted to record a series of hymns for preservation. Hymns are sermons on their own so these are gospel songs,” she said.
The single is titled, ‘Master the Tempest Is Raging’ and was originally written by Mary Anne Baker in the late 1800s. It was inspired by the verses in the book of Mark 4: 36-41 and was composed by Dr Horatio Richmond Palmer. However, she pointed out that the uptake of the song has been positive since it's one of the loved pieces globally.
In order to market the song and sell it to potential fans, she said she used word of mouth and social media to market the music. She further pointed out that her music was different from other artistes because it was a solo soprano rendition.
“The challenges I am having so far is getting exposure. I have to rely much on the digital platforms to sell music as CDs are being faced out and stores no longer sell them. So finding a central place of distribution is a challenge for all musicians currently. I am happy to say I have managed to sell 75% of the first batch of CDs within the first month. The feedback I get from my customers is humbling and satisfying. I am happy that the music seems to be having the effect it was meant to have on many people,” she said. The single is available on CD at P150 and also on various digital platforms including iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and Deezer. Lemo can be contacted on her email at oosiangel.lemo@gmail.com