WeeklySA_AdminGAP: Late bloomer in the then highly competitive kwaito music scene, he proved skeptics wrong….
By Gugu Sibiya
One of the godfathers of kwaito, the irrepressible Sandile Ngwenya(45), is gone and no more. The Kwaito faithful is still reeling from the news of the parting of one of the genre’s most colourful figures, following a short illness a fortnight ago.
The Soweto-born artist better known as Mapaputsi, joined the celestial choir a fortnight ago. He was buried a week ago.
A late bloomer – by all accounts – in the then highly competitive kwaito music scene, which took off in the 90s. Sceptics barely gave Mapaputsi a chance. Regardless, it didn’t deter or stop his star from rising and shining brightly. After all, he was from Zola, home to a number of exceptionally gifted heavies of the genre. They are highly appreciated for turning the reputation of their township into a positive and respectable one.
Mapaputsi was one of those artists whose talent was highly respected. Spontaneous to the hilt, he was admired for bursting into a composition at the drop of a hat, in vernacular, be it in a car or just hanging out with friends. He didn’t need to be in the studio, stringing message-laden or fun lyrics together. It was his thing, something to be picked up in his songs. It’s therefore not surprising that his name was mentioned in the same breath as his homies like Zola 7, the late Mandoza, Mdu and Motlatsi, among others.
Izinja is what Nkalakatha was to Mandoza. A hit song that put his name on the map. It was and continues to remain on high rotation though there are other powerful singles. Other gems include Sgubhu Galore, Woza Friday, Nang’uMapaputsi and Amasoja.
There’s no doubt that Mapaputsi has contributed richly to the development of the genre, carving his name in gold among the best kwaito stars.
