Mbongeni Ngema, the South African musician and playwright best known for creating the Apartheid-themed musical Sarafina!, has died. He was 68 years old. Ngema’s Sarafina! was adapted into a movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, and he would later go on to serve as the vocal arranger for the original, animated version of The Lion King. Ngema passed away following a car accident on December 27th. According to his family, Ngema was a passenger in the car, which had a head-on collision while returning from a funeral.
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In addition to his work on Sarafina! and The Lion King, he co-wrote the multi-award-winning Woza Albert! and helped other artists with arrangements, including South African artists and Western musicians like Michael Bolton. Sarafina! spent two years on Broadway before being adapted into a film, during which time it earned five Tony nominations, a Grammy nomination, and 11 NAACP Image Awards.
“We have lost a trailblazing creative talent who fearlessly brought awareness of South Africa under apartheid to a global audience using the theatre as a platform,” Sarafina! producer Anant Singh said in a statement (via Deadline). “He has left an indelible mark on South African theatre and the creative industries as a whole. This is clearly demonstrated by the timelessness of Sarafina! the film. Mbongeni was an inspiration and mentored many young artists who are now household names. His passing leaves a deep void but he leaves a rich legacy that will endure for posterity.”
One of the best-known chroniclers of the Apartheid era, Ngema would go on to have a string of hits in South Africa and beyond. After Sarafina! and Woza Albert!, Wikipedia lists his bigger hits as Township Fever, which played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Majestic Theatre; Mama, Asinamali, Maria Maria, The Zulu – the musical, 1906 Bhambada The Freedom Fighter, The House of Shaka, and The Lion of the East.
In 1995, he made Sarafina II, which tried to address the African AIDS crisis in the same way the first play had addressed Apartheid.
At 2001’s African Renaissance festival, Negme’s name was engraved on the entrance of the City Hall in Durban, along with others who fought against Apartheid, including Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, and Miriam Makeba. Since South African independence, he has been a celebrated public figure there and abroad, serving as artistic director for the 2003 Cricket World Cup, as well as helping to organize nationwide 10th anniversary celebrations of South African democracy in 2004.
Our condolences go out to his family, friends, collaborators, and fans.
