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About Mandoza
Over the course of his career, Mandoza liked to give his albums boastful album titles such as Nkalakatha, Godoba, Tornado, Champion, and Phunyuka Bamphethe. But his music justified all that bragging, as he was one of the most charismatic kwaito stars of all time. Born Mduduzi Tshabalala in 1978 in Soweto, Mandoza formed the kwaito group Chiskop in the ’90s alongside childhood friends Siphiwe “General” Sibisi, Sizwe “Lollipop” Motaung, and Sibusiso “SB-Bless” Thanjekwayo. The group, which is known for such hits as “Umuntu Omnyama,” “Klaimar,” and “Sunday,” appeared on Mandoza’s 1999 street-centric motivational anthem “Uzoythola Kanjani.” The song’s electric guitar licks, courtesy of producer Gabi Le Roux, went on to define a huge portion of Mandoza’s catalog during the 2000s. His biggest hit “Nkalakatha,” released in 2000, was a massive kwaito/rock crossover which to this day is still played at rugby matches, company end-year functions, and street bashes. From there, Mandoza built up a solid oeuvre characterized by potent beats and chest-thumping conviction, whether he was praising himself or encouraging youngsters to stay away from crime and drugs on songs such as “Respect Life,” “Hope,” and “Indoda." His music continues to inspire even after his untimely death from cancer in 2015 at the age of 38.
