Though the beginning of the year started on a low key, the passing of folklore guitarist Stampore (Malefo Mokha) left a vivid mark in January 2013.His death followed after a short illness from what family members described as kidney complications. The country was left in mourning. Fans who had only become alive to his music felt he was gone too soon. The creative industry was missing a piece of the entertainment puzzle. By February the void left by his death could be felt despite efforts by his mentor and surviving elder brother Kwataeshwele to fill in Stampore’s shoes. It became very clear then that the man was in a class of his own. He was a man of few words whose guitar-licking fingers did all the talking. The same year ends on a sour note. On December 1, another folklore music legend, Andries Bok, died aged 56. Once again cultural music followers and indeed the whole nation was left sobbing.
While Stampore had managed, through the help of Small House Records, to build himself a two and half house at his home village in Molepolole, Bok died in abject poverty.
