Senyaka (13 April 1956 – 25 March 2015), also known as Thula Kekana, was a South African

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

, kwaito star,

record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...

, and

actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. A pioneer of African rap in the 1980s, Senyaka gained national infamy for South Africa's first

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). Beef can be prepared in various ways; Cut of beef, cuts are often used for steak, which can be cooked to varying degrees of doneness, while trimmings are often Ground beef, grou ...

when he dissed pop legend

Brenda Fassie Brenda Nokuzola Fassie (3 November 1964 – 9 May 2004) was a South African singer, songwriter, dancer and activist. Affectionately called MaBrrr by her fans, she is also known as the "Queen of African Pop" or the "Madonna of The Townships." Fas ...

on his 1993 song, "Ma-Gents".

Biography

Born to political activist Moses Kekana, a member of the

Pan Africanist Congress of Azania The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, often shortened to the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), is a South African pan-Africanist national liberation movement that is now a political party. It was founded by an Africanist group, led by Robert S ...

and organizer in the 1950s Evaton bus boycotts, Kekana was nicknamed "Senyaka" (meaning "blob of jelly") by his aunt, impressed at his chubby appearance. Senyaka and the Kekana family hail from Sibitiela, also known as

Zebediela Zebediela is a group of villages in Capricorn District Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. It is south-east of Polokwane, next to Lebowakgomo. It is well known for the production of citrus fruits, mainly oranges. Zebediela was home ...

. Senyaka rose to fame in the 1980s with his hit single "Go Away", pumping transgressive humor and hardcore

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

in a country still not used to the sounds of pop rap and reeling under the violence of

Apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

. From 1987 to 1991, Senyaka released a blaze of solo albums fusing hip-hop with the emerging sound of kwaito - culminating in his 1993 BMG South Africa debut, ''Ma-Gents''. It was on the album's eponymous single that Senyaka committed cultural sacrilege - dissing national musical icon,

in South Africa's first rap diss and beef. On "Ma-Gents", Senyaka called out "Brenda ke mpara" and hinted at the industry rumors about Fassie, claiming she wasn't interested in him because she didn't feel "real OGs". Fassie responded by calling him "sgatla mabhanti" - "vagabond, you take me for granted". Senyaka's friendship with industry veteran

Sello Chicco Twala Sello "Chicco" Twala (born June 5, 1963) is a South African singer and record producer. He has produced many hit singles for well-known artists in the country, including Nkosana Kodi and Brenda Fassie. In the 1970s, he played in soul bands incl ...

led to the comedy film ''Moruti wa Tsotsi'', produced by Chicco and starring Senyaka. Senyaka died of pneumonia at Kopano Hospital in Welkom on 25 March 201

Former Radio Sesotho DJ Thuso Motaung remembers Senyaka: "That boy - when you interviewed him, you have to be extra careful! Be on your toes and pay attention to what he says - coz if you relax, unsavory words and vulgar will be said on your show that can cost your job. That boy used too much vulgar and he just didn't give a damn! It was the character in him."

Discography

*''Fuquza Dance'' (1987) *''Portugese'' (1988) *''Sophiatown'' (1989) *''Willie's My Connection'' (1990) *''Ntate Senyaka'' (1991) *''Ma-Gents'' (1993) *''Mampara'' (1995) *''Fong'' - Senyaka & Kamazu Are Hunger Boyz (1998) *''O Shwa Jwang O Nkolota'' (2001) *''Pay Back'' (2003) *''Fostela'' (2006)

References

1957 births 2015 deaths South African male actors {{SouthAfrica-actor-stub