The Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) joins the Mlangeni family, the South African music industry and millions of music lovers in mourning the passing of legendary singer, guitarist, composer and songwriter Bernard “Babsy” Mlangeni, who died aged 83 following a short illness on Thursday 1 October.
For more than five decades, Mlangeni gave South Africa something more enduring than hits. He gave the country a musical memory.
A voice that crossed generations
“Through his distinctive voice, guitar and songwriting, he sang about love, longing, ordinary life and the times through which South Africans were living. His music travelled across generations, languages and communities, becoming part of the soundtrack of lives that were being lived, loved and remembered. A voice that carried love, resilience and the story of generations falls silent,” said RiSA’s chief executive officer Nhlanhla Sibisi.
Songs such as “Bua Nnete”, “Sala Emma”, “Botsotso” and “Umadlembathini” remain deeply woven into the country’s musical heritage. “Sala Emma”, his tender song inspired by his wife Emma, became particularly beloved, while “Bua Nnete” established his presence with audiences in the early 1970s. His repertoire also included “Thekeni”, “Hey Mr Taxi Driver”, “Mapule”, “Music Was Born in Africa” and “Lonely Man”.
Born in Orlando East, Soweto, in 1943, Mlangeni lost his sight in childhood. He attended the Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town, where he learned to play the guitar and began developing the musical language that would define his extraordinary career. He went on to become a singer, guitarist and composer at a time when blind musicians faced significant barriers in South Africa.
A lifetime of achievement
“We had the privilege of recognising Mlangeni’s contribution when he was honoured with a South African Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017,” said Sibisi. “We value the Lifetime Achievement honours because they ensured that veterans who had served the music industry with dedication and given the nation timeless music would not be forgotten.
“We believe that our veteran who served the industry with unmatched dedication and gave us timeless music should never be forgotten by history,” added Sibisi.
Mlangeni is also remembered as a mentor to younger musicians, including fellow visually impaired artist, the late Steve Kekana, extending his influence beyond his own recordings and into the generations that followed.
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A repository of memory
For RiSA, the passing of Babsy Mlangeni represents the loss of one of the important voices in the living history of South African recorded music. He belonged to a generation of musicians who created under extraordinary circumstances and whose music became a repository of memory. His songs crossed the boundaries of language and geography. They travelled from township homes to concert stages, from radio programmes to family gatherings, from one generation to another.
