Patricia Majalisa

Patricia Majalisa was born on 15 February 1967 in Mdantsane, East London, and from her earliest years she was drawn irresistibly to music. As a child she would imitate the popular musicians she heard around her, and in 1978, still a young teenager, she left home to pursue what she already understood to be her calling. It would take time, but the dream would eventually be realised on a scale she could hardly have imagined.

In 1981 she joined Dan Tshanda's Splash as a backing vocalist, touring alongside the band and learning the craft of performance at the feet of one of South Africa's most commercially astute producers. It was a formative period. Splash was a genuine phenomenon, and the experience gave Majalisa not only exposure but a deep understanding of what township audiences wanted from their music. By 1986, producer Hamilton Nzimande recognised her individual talent and helped her launch a solo career. Her debut album Cool Down went platinum almost immediately, and the trajectory from there was remarkable.

Albums followed in quick succession. Witchdoctor and Gimba each achieved platinum status, while Poverty and Dzhengezhe elevated her to double platinum territory, with sales exceeding 100,000 copies each. Across a discography of more than 15 albums, she consistently delivered. Her hit Akulalwa Ziyawa became a genuine anthem, beloved not only in South Africa but across Zimbabwe and Botswana, where her popularity saw her headline major events and tour regularly. She was widely and accurately described as the Disco Queen of the 1980s, known for a distinctive ability to weave mbaqanga influences into electronic disco in a way that felt utterly her own.

In the final months of her life, she collaborated with kwaito artist Professor on his album Bubblegum Love, released in March 2020, a reminder that her voice still carried weight across generations. She died on 9 July 2020 following a short illness. She was 53.