Kwaito superstar, Mandoza, has died. The 38-year-old passed away on Sunday, September 18 after a battle with brain cancer.
Johannesburg - Nkalakatha is township slang for top dog. For the better part of the early naughties, this is exactly what Mandoza was.
Born Mduduzi Tshabalala in Soweto, Mandoza was catapulted into national stardom by his hit song, Nkalakatha, in 2000. It was the lead single and title of his second solo album.
Frequent collaborator Gabi le Roux produced it. Just six years since the first democratic elections in South Africa, the nation was still struggling with the concept of the rainbow nation. But Nkalakatha – with its undeniable rock riff influence and Mandoza’s rough intonations – succeeded in becoming a hit in both black and white circles.
Even now, 16 years later, the song is considered The crossover hit and can be heard everywhere from rugby matches to ratchet parties. Le Roux chalks this status up to Mandoza’s ability to bring about social cohesion. “It takes one song to bring us together,” says Le Roux, “Nkalakatha was that song.”
“Mandoza was also an example of an African boy who came from very humble beginnings but using his talent and working with the right people, he stood out as a true shining example that anyone who believes in himself or herself can achieve their dreams.”
“With the legacy of apartheid, the majority of our people had the odds stacked against them. In his time, it was a young democracy. But even the most rightwing and racist communities adored him and that song. He had the freedom of any city. We can take Mandoza as an example that a good song and an artist like that can bring us together.”
But Mandoza didn’t start out as a shining example. At just 16, he was arrested for car theft. When he came back home, he joined forces with Siphiwe “The General GTZ” Sibisi, the late Sizwe “Lollipop” Motaung and Sibusiso “Bless” Thanjakwayo.
Together, they became known as Chiskop and signed to Arthur Mafokate’s 999 record label. There, they had a hit called Klaima.
In those late 90s, Chiskop worked closely with Le Roux under his company, Groove City, with house music maverick, Tim White. “In 1999, we decided Mandoza was the most obvious one to launch as a solo artist first,” says Le Roux.
“He’s got that X-Factor that you cannot train or teach or buy with money. He’s just born with it.
The multi-South African Music Award-winning Nkalakatha went on to sell in excess of 350 000 units, making Mandoza a platinum-selling artist. He went on to release a well-selling album a year.
There was Godoba then Tornado then Sgelegeqe (the first single that wasn’t produced by Le Roux but by DJ Cleo) and then in 2004, Mandoza collaborated with pop crooner, Danny K on an album called Same Difference.
That album scooped the SAMA for Best Pop Album as well as a Channel O Music Award. By the time Mandoza released Phunyuka Bamphete in 2005, the music landscape was changing.
Artists were no longer selling as well as they used to and the paparazzi culture was growing. Soon, Mandoza became tabloid headline fodder and in 2008, he was involved in a car accident that claimed the lives of two people.
“Mandoza has always been very humble,” says Vaughn Eaton who was Mandoza’s business and personal manager from 1999 to 2009. “He’s been very upset at media occasionally.”
Eaton says 2008 was “extremely challenging for Mandoza as an individual. He had gone through the whole process in terms of the court case and the challenges that came with it.”
Curwyn Eaton, who managed Mandoza from 2009 to 2015 says the only thing that helped Mandoza rise above his adversities was making more music. It was only on his 13th album, Sgantsontso (released in 2013) that the kwaito star started to feel like the public was receptive to him again.
“After that accident, I had to assist him in cutting his expenses and help him change his image towards the public,” says Curwyn Eaton. “I think Sgantsontso impacted Mandoza very well. He was extremely excited about it. We received a lot of airplay after that and he felt like he was back.”
But even so, Mandoza was plagued by illness after illness and was frequently in hospital. At the time of his death he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Mandoza is survived by his wife, Mpho, and his three children.