Biography

Not many musical groups can lay claim to defining an entire genre. One of the most famous names in South African music, Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens arose in 1964 to become the country’s premier mbaqanga vocal harmony group and the most popular musical attraction in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. The sweet, joyous close harmony and energetic dances of the Queens, counteracted by the deep bass 'groaning' of Mahlathini and the lilting guitar backing of the Makgona Tsohle Band, became one of the most iconic sights and sounds in the country. A number of crossover projects in the early 1980s – such as Malcolm McLaren's Duck Rock, Paul Simon's Graceland and Harry Belafonte's Paradise In Gazankulu – sparked major world interest in mbaqanga music. On the back of this newfound attention, Mahlathini & The Mahotella Queens quickly became one of the most active live performance acts from South Africa. A number of new releases aimed predominantly at the overseas audience led to regular visits to the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Australia. In the late 1990s, the group saw the successive deaths of its saxophonist West Nkosi, lead guitarist Marks Mankwane and groaner Mahlathini. Under the leadership of founding member Hilda Tloubatla, the Mahotella Queens soldiered on into the new century, continuing to carry their stirring and passionate mbaqanga sound to all four corners of the globe.