Mduduzi Thembinkosi Edmund Tshabalala (17 January 1978 – 18 September 2016), also known as Mandoza, was a South African singer-songwriter and
kwaito
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa, between the late 1980s and 1990s. It is a sound that features the use of African sounds and samples. Kwaito songs occur at a slower tempo range than other styles of h ...
recording artist. He was known for his contributions to the kwaito genre and his numerous hit singles, including "Nkalakatha", "Uzoyithola Kanjani, Tornado", "Sgelekeqe", "Ngalabesi", "Godoba", "Tsotsi Yase Zola" and "Indoda", which topped the charts in South Africa and all over the African continent. His second album ''Nkalakatha'', released in 2000, became the biggest selling album of his career, selling 350,000 units.
A biopic which chronicles the life of Mandoza, titled Nkalakatha: The Life of Mandoza premiered on
BET
Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...
on the 16th of August 2023, in which
Wiseman Mncube portrayed him.
Early life
Mandoza was born on 17 January 1978 in
Zola, a township in
Soweto
Soweto () is a Township (South Africa), township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western T ...
,
where he lived with his mother, his grandparents and two sisters. He never knew his father, his mother claiming that he was murdered the same year Mandoza was born. In 1994, at the age of 16, he was charged with stealing a car and received a one-and-a-half-year sentence, which he served in
Diepkloof Prison.
Music career
When he was released from prison, Mandoza formed the group "Chiskop" along with three childhood friends, S'bu, Siphiwe aka General and Sizwe. His talents were discovered by
Arthur Mafokate, also known as the King of Kwaito. Mandoza was first played on air by DJ Sipho Mbatha, known as Sgqemeza, of Durban Youth Radio and then of
Ukhozi FM. Mandoza aimed to deliver messages of inspiration to the kwaito music scene. He used his music as a way to encourage young South Africans to achieve their goals. His song "Uzoyithola Kanjani" means: "how are you going to get it, if you don't get up and go for it." He credited much of his success to his mentor, Glenn Morris, who helped him during his
drug
A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via insufflation (medicine), inhalation, drug i ...
addled early years.
The group signed its first record contract eight years after its formation and released their debut album titled, ''Akusheshi'' with the hit single "Klaimer" followed by their second album ''Relax'' in 1997. Although ''Chiskop'' achieved great success and was widely seen to be at kwaito's forefront, Mandoza also started a solo career. In 1999 he released the top-selling (more than 100,000 units sold) album ''9II5 Zola South'', for which he gained a 2000
FNB South African Music Awards
The South African Music Awards (often simply the SAMAs) are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held annually, usually in late April or May, with the judging process starting in ...
Best Newcomer nomination.
In 2000, he then released his second album ''Nkalakatha'', produced by
Gabi Le Roux
Gabriel Le Roux is a South African keyboardist, composer and music producer. Trained as a classical and jazz keyboardist, he has produced List of music recording certifications, platinum rock and Afrikaans music records, but he is best known for pr ...
, to widespread acclaim, selling 350 000 copies which won multi-platinum status. The title track became a crossover hit and reached the top of the charts on both traditionally black and white radio stations. Other hit songs of the album were Virstaan & Skhathi Sewashi featuring Tokollo from the kwaito group
Tkzee
TKZee is a South African kwaito music group formed in 1990s by three school friends, Tokollo Tshabalala, Kabelo Mabalane, and Zwai Bala. The group shot to prominence in late 1997 and early 1998 with their chart-topping singles "Palafala" and ...
. This album won the Best Kwaito Music Album category and the album's title track won the Song of the Year category at the
South African Music Awards
The South African Music Awards (often simply the SAMAs) are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held annually, usually in late April or May, with the judging process starting in ...
in 2001.
[Rouvanne.]
Mandoza – Nkalakatha
. ''Peak People: An Inside Look''. Mandoza also won in five of the ten categories at the 2001 Metro Music Awards: Best Kwaito Artist, Best Male Vocalist, Best Album, Best Styled Artist and Song Of The Year. He soon followed up with his third studio album ''Godoba'' selling 150 000 copies with the hit singles Godoba, Jerusalema & 50/50. Also in 2001, Mandoza won the Best Artist – Southern Africa category at the
Kora All Africa Music Awards and won two awards at the
South African Music Awards
The South African Music Awards (often simply the SAMAs) are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held annually, usually in late April or May, with the judging process starting in ...
for Godoba Song of the year and Video of the year in 2002. The success continued further more releasing his forth studio album ''Tornado'' which sold 50 000 copies within its release. In 2003, Mandoza participated in the documentary film ''SHARP! SHARP! – the kwaito story'', directed by
Aryan Kaganof and reunited with his Chiskop band members General Gtz & S'bu on releasing their 6th album titled Sunday. In 2004 he released the fifth studio album self titled Mandoza where he teamed up with top DJ and producer DJ Cleo releasing the hit single Sgelekeqe. The album also featured another hit single titled Indoda and the album sold double platinum 100 000 Copies. Mandoza was voted 77th in the
Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004.
In February 2005 it was announced that Mandoza would play a major supporting role in a new South African-made
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
-themed feature film, ''
Number 10'', which would be directed by
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominee
Darrell James Roodt. It was also announced that Mandoza would be contributing to the film's soundtrack.
Mandoza sang in several of South Africa's many languages, including English,
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...
,
Zulu, and
Xhosa
Xhosa may refer to:
* Xhosa people, a nation, and ethnic group, who live in south-central and southeasterly region of South Africa
* Xhosa language, one of the 11 official languages of South Africa, principally spoken by the Xhosa people
See als ...
, giving him wide appeal with South African listeners.
Mandoza's music tried to "put a more constructive message into kwaito." Originally, Mandoza did not like the kwaito style, because of its lack of a message and tendency to focus on dancing and pleasure rather than on the plethora of
social problems
A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...
that exist in South Africa, even after apartheid ended in 1994. Mandoza also recorded Rap/
Metal
A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
collaboration with Croatian rock singer
Dino Jelusic on songs "Bad to the Bone" and "In Our Blood". "In Our Blood" is a song dedicated to rhinos killed in 2015.
At the 1st ceremony of Mzansi Kwaito and House Music Awards, he was honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award.
Death
Mandoza died on 18 September 2016. According to his family, he was being treated for
pharyngeal cancer prior to his death and had lost his
eyesight
Visual perception is the ability to detect light and use it to form an image of the surrounding environment. Photodetection without image formation is classified as ''light sensing''. In most vertebrates, visual perception can be enabled by ph ...
.
Mandoza waited in vain for at least three hours for an ambulance at his home, as a last resort his manager used a private vehicle to transport Mandoza to hospital but he died in the car just before arriving at the
Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
Awards
*2001 South African Music Awards (SAMA) Song of the Year for Nkalakatha
*2001 South African Music Awards (SAMA Best Kwaito Album
*2001 Metro Fm Music Awards Best Kwaito Artist
*2001 Metro Fm Music Awards Best Male Vocalist
*2001 Metro Fm Music Awards Best Album
*2001 Metro Fm Music Awards Best Styled Artist
*2001 Metro Fm Music Awards Song of the Year
*2001 Kora All Africa Music Awards Best Artist – Southern Africa
*2002 South African Music Awards (SAMA) Best Music Video For Godoba
*2002 South African Music Awards (SAMA) Song of the Year For Godoba
*2006
Channel O Musical Video Awards – Best Collaboration Video ("Music") (with
Danny K
Daniel Koppel (born 8 September 1977), known professionally as Danny K, is a South African singer, songwriter and actor.
Early life and education
He was raised by Jewish parents, Gavin and Pam Koppel in Johannesburg. He is the eldest of their ...
)
[BBC:]
Channel O Spirit Of Africa Music Video Awards 2006
/ref>
*2012 Namibian Annual Music Awards (NAMAS) Best Music Video With Ees
*2012 Channel O Musical Video Awards Best Kwaito Award For Ayoba With Ees
*2013 Nominated For Best Kwaito Album Sgantsontso
*2023 South African Music Awards (SAMA) Lifetime Achievement Award
Solo albums
*1999 ''9II5 Zola South''
*2000 ''Nkalakatha''
*2000: ''Nkalakatha (The Boss Remixes)''
*2001: ''Godoba''
*2002: ''Tornado''
*2004: ''Mandoza''
*2004: ''Same Difference'' – (with Danny K
Daniel Koppel (born 8 September 1977), known professionally as Danny K, is a South African singer, songwriter and actor.
Early life and education
He was raised by Jewish parents, Gavin and Pam Koppel in Johannesburg. He is the eldest of their ...
)
*2005: ''Phunyuka Bamphethe''
*2006: ''Ngalabesi''
*2007: ''Champion''
*2008: ''Ingwenya''
*2010: ''Real Deal''
*2011: ''So Fresh''
*2013: ''Sgantsontso ''
References
{{Authority control
South African rappers
1978 births
2016 deaths
Kwaito musicians
Musicians from Soweto
21st-century South African male singers
Afrikaans-language singers of South Africa
Zulu-language singers of South Africa
Xhosa-language singers of South Africa
Deaths from cancer in South Africa
Burials at Westpark Cemetery
20th-century South African male singers