Mandoza

Mduduzi Thembinkosi Edmund Tshabalala (17 January 1978 – 18 September 2016), also known as Mandoza, was a South African singer-songwriter and kwaito 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.

Mandoza was born on 17 January 1978 in Zola, a township in Soweto, 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.

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 strived to give an inspirational message to Kwaito.

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 addled early years.

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 that exist in South Africa, even after apartheid ended in 1994.

Mandoza also recorded Rap/Metal collaboration with Croatian rock singer Dino Jelusic on songs "Bad to the Bone" and "In Our Blood".

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 Best Newcomer nomination.

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 ( DStv Ch.129 ) on the 16th of August 2023, in which Wiseman Mncube portrayes him.

In 2000, he then released his second album Nkalakatha, produced by Gabi Le Roux,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 Ft Tokollo from the kwaito group Tkzee.

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 in 2001.

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.In 2003, Mandoza participated in the documentary film ''SHARP!

SHARP!

– the kwaito story'', directed by Aryan Kaganof and released his forth big-selling album Tornado in 2002.

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-themed feature film, Number 10, which would be directed by Academy Award 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, Zulu, and Xhosa, giving him wide appeal with South African listeners.

Mandoza's music tried to "put a more constructive message into Kwaito."

"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.

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.

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.