Kwaito star Brown Dash, who died on Wednesday, will be buried on Saturday and his memorial service is scheduled to be held this week.
Born Siphiwe Mpamile, he died at Chris Hani-Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.
It was reported that the Phants’ Komthunzi Welanga star complained that he was not feeling well and was taken to hospital where he later died.
South Africans really got to know Brown Dash through Sguqa Ngamadolo in 2002 when he sang alongside Mzekezeke. The 34-year-old from Zola, Soweto, whose love for brown car dashboards earned him the name Brown Dash, worked with DJ Cleo on his first single Puff ’n Pass, after which his debut album, Umthandazo Wabolova, where the hit Phants’ Komthunzi Welanga dropped. He went on to win the Best Kwaito Album award at the 2005 SA Music Awards (Samas) for Umthandazo Wabolova.
After his death social networks went abuzz. @BrickzMabrigado, or Brickz, another kwaito star from the infamous Zola township, tweeted on Wednesday: “I just left him 10min es’bhedlela (hospital). Now I’ve just heard ukuthi (that) he passed on.”
He further tweeted, “RIP, Dash. Sohlala sikuthanda - we will always love you.
Kalawa boss Oscar “Oskido” Mdlongwa said when he first saw Dash he saw a young man who had potential and believed in kwaito music. “When people close to you die it is sad. We hear about Michael Jackson, but when it hits home it is really sad,” said Mdlongwa, who said he had last seen Dash two weeks ago at the Samas where he performed Ngeke’Balunge alongside Spikiri and Brickz.
Dash had people at the Samas talking about his frail image, but he offered a good performance, in what was a rare public appearance since his disappearance from the music scene a few years ago.
TS Records, where Dash launched his career, released a statement on Thursday sending its condolences to family, friends and fans.
“He was a very efficient and easy to work with artist and will be remembered mostly for his humility and work ethic. His death has left a scar in our hearts,” read the statement.
Dash parted ways with TS Records after his third album, Dashboard, following reports of financial disputes.
In 2009 after he had left TS Records to work with DJ Cleo, there were reports that the record label had taken back his Mini Cooper despite the fact that he had made arrangements to buy the car from them.
In 2008, Dash made a comeback with his Back2Kasi album, but it failed. And then reports of his poor health started doing the rounds. It was reported that in 2010 he was in and out of hospital after he was diagnosed with pneumonia. In May last year his wife died.
It was reported that at the time of his death, he was living in a commune in Melville with his manager, Siphiwe Msibi.
Dash leaves behind his two sons, a daughter and his mother. - Sunday Independent