Death of South African composer and choreographer Mbongeni Ngema

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Death of South African composer and choreographer Mbongeni Ngema

He was celebrated around the world and his name appeared on the Walk of Fame, the pantheon of Broadway stars in New York. The playwright, composer and choreographer Mbongeni Ngema died on Wednesday December 27 at the age of 68 in a road accident in the Cape Province, South Africa. Mbongeni Ngema was the author of the musical Sarafina which was a worldwide success in the late 1980s.

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Sarafina made him an international star. The musical about the Soweto student revolts, which he wrote and composed with his friend, trumpeter Hugh Masekela, was first performed in Johannesburg in 1987 before being produced at the Cort Theater on Broadway, New York. York, in January 1988.

The play was performed nearly 600 times and was such a success that Mbongeni Ngema saw his name inscribed on the Walk of Fame of New York’s theater district. A distinction that shocked him, as he explained to the South African journalist David Mashabela a few years ago:

“ I didn’t understand when they did that ! What ? Me ? Alongside Samuel Beckett who is the greatest English writer ! But what is it ? I didn’t understand it well because I was still too young. »

Increased popularity in the 1990s

In 1992, the film adaptation of Sarafina with American star Whoppy Goldberg in the title role further strengthens the aura of the South African playwright. The 1990s saw him produce multiple blockbusters and garner numerous awards around the world.

The child from KwaZulu-Natal started out as a theater pianist. He liked to recall his genealogy and in particular the long line of Zulu warriors from whom he came. In recent years, however, his reputation has been clouded by accusations of corruption and sexual abuse.



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