Mduduzi Thembinkosi Edmund Tshabalala, known as Mandoza, was a South African singer-songwriter and kwaito recording artist.
12 Facts About Mandoza
1.
2.
Mandoza was born on 17 January 1978 in Zola, a township in Soweto, where he lived with his mother, his grandparents and two sisters.
3.
Mandoza never knew his father, his mother claiming that he was murdered the same year Mandoza was born.
4.
When he was released from prison, Mandoza formed the group "Chiskop" along with three childhood friends, S'bu, Siphiwe aka General and Sizwe.
5.
Mandoza's talents were discovered by Arthur Mafokate, known as the King of Kwaito.
6.
Mandoza was first played on air by DJ Sipho Mbatha, known as Sgqemeza, of Durban Youth Radio and then of Ukhozi FM.
7.
Mandoza aimed to deliver messages of inspiration to the kwaito music scene.
8.
Mandoza used his music as a way to encourage young South Africans to achieve their goals.
9.
Mandoza 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.
10.
Mandoza was voted 77th in the Top 100 Great South Africans in 2004.
11.
Mandoza sang in several of South Africa's many languages, including English, Afrikaans, Zulu, and Xhosa, giving him wide appeal with South African listeners.
12.
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.