Mahotella Queens

Few South African musical groups have carried the sound of the township to the world with the longevity of the Mahotella Queens. Formed in Johannesburg in 1964 by producer Rupert Bopape at Gallo Records, the group became central to the development and popularisation of mbaqanga, a distinctly South African style built around infectious rhythms, intricate female harmonies and energetic choreography. The Queens were closely associated with the deep, resonant voice of Simon Mahlathini Nkabinde and the Makgona Tsohle Band, creating the celebrated act known as Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens.

Their early catalogue produced a succession of South African hits, including Umculo Kawupheli, Lilizela Mlilizeli, Melodi ya Lla and Kazet. Umculo Kawupheli became a gold-selling record in the 1970s, while Kazet later became an international hit and helped establish the group beyond South Africa. Their international profile grew significantly during the 1980s, following the renewed global interest in South African music. They performed at the 1988 Nelson Mandela Birthday Concert in London, which was televised to 60 countries, and in 1991 performed to an audience of around 500,000 in New York's Central Park.

The Queens have also received significant recognition at home and abroad. In 2000 they won the WOMEX Award for outstanding contribution to world music. In 2005, three founding members, Hilda Tloubatla, Nobesuthu Mbadu and Nontsomi Mildred Mangxola, received South Africa's Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze for their contribution to traditional music.

The group endured considerable loss, including the deaths of Mahlathini, composer West Nkosi and guitarist Marks Mankwane around the turn of the millennium. Rather than retire, the Queens rebuilt their band and continued performing. Mangxola retired in 2013 and Mbadu died in 2021, leaving Hilda Tloubatla as the last surviving original member.

Remarkably, Tloubatla has continued touring internationally into her eighties. In 2025, at 83, she took the Queens to Japan for their first overseas performances since 2019, alongside younger singers Amanda Nkosi and Nonku Maseko. The group also released Buya Buya: Come Back, its first album of new material since 2007, demonstrating that the Mahotella Queens remain a living part of South Africa's musical heritage rather than simply a relic of its past.