To Lekompo or not to Lekompo? Balcony mix event sparks controversy

by Nomonde Simelane

Limpopo’s unique music genre Lekompo has caused chaos among social media users who continue to go back and forth about whether or not the sound is palatable after a few clips of a recent Balcony Mix event have gone viral.

Social media has become an interesting place to be as users often bicker and go back and forth trying to prove that their opinions and beliefs reign superior over the rest. Recently, the topic has been the continuous rise in popularity of the Lekompo genre that has quickly taken over the Limpopo and parts of the Gauteng province. This conversation has seen social media users bickering and debating whether Lekompo can be a notable contender among the plethora of genres that mzansi has produced over the years, such as gqom, maskandi and amapiano.

The root of these debates stems from a few clips of a recent Lekompo Balcony mix that took place, which have been making rounds on social media. These clips were shared by users who came to express their deep desire to attend a Lekompo balcony mix, as well as admire and commend the good vibes that were visibly present at the event.

However, these clips were met with backlash and criticism, as other social media users revealed that they do not understand the hype around the genre which seems to be picking up steam across the country.

According to these users, the Lekompo genre is nothing short of noise pollution and should be kept to the confines of its province of origin, as no one else would enjoy it.

However, the positive energy has outweighed the negativity as users rushed to the comments section to condemn those who reacted negatively to the youth enjoying their favourite genre. Fans and supporters of diversity expressed how refreshing it was to see the youth embracing more genres, particularly Lekomopo as it hails from Limpopo, a province that is often subjected to unfair treatment from other cultures and provinces.

As mzansi has quickly become a global entertainment hub, it will be interesting whether Lekompo will take on a similar trajectory to that of the gqom, amapiano or maskandi genres that have become popular in various parts of the world. However, the one thing that is certain is that mzansi cannot ignore Lekompo artists for much longer as they are knocking on the doors of bigger and better opportunities, with events such as this balcony mix paving the way.

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