Princess Constance Magogo Sibilile Mantithi Ngangezinye kaDinuzulu (1900–1984) was a Zulu princess and artist, mother to Chief

Mangosuthu Buthelezi Prince Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi (born 27 August 1928) is a South African politician and Zulu traditional leader who is currently a Member of Parliament and the traditional prime minister to the Zulu royal family. He was Chief Minister of the ...

Inkatha Freedom Party The Inkatha Freedom Party ( zu, IQembu leNkatha yeNkululeko, IFP) is a right-wing political party in South Africa. The party has been led by Velenkosini Hlabisa since the party's 2019 National General Conference. Mangosuthu Buthelezi founded t ...

leader, and sister to Zulu King

Solomon kaDinuzulu Nkayishana Maphumzana 'Phumuzuzulu' Solomon kaDinuzulu (1891 – 4 March 1933) was the king of the Zulu nation from 1913 until his death on 4 March 1933 at Kambi at the age of 41 or 42. He was born on the island of St. Helena during the exile ...

Biography

Princess Magogo was born in 1900, the daughter of the Zulu King,

Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo (1868 – 18 October 1913, commonly misspelled Dinizulu) was the king of the Zulu nation from 20 May 1884 until his death in 1913. He succeeded his father Cetshwayo, who was the last king of the Zulus to be officially reco ...

(1868–1913) and Queen Silomo. She was taught by her mother and her co-wives and she would sleep at their houses. They brought her up and that is where she learnt traditional instruments. In 1926 she married Chief Mathole Buthelezi. Princess Magogo composed Zulu

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

and played isigubhu (a stringed bow and a calabash instrument) and isithontolo (a musical instrument which is like a bow which has a string bound down to the middle of the bow) and was also a singer. She continued her music after she married Chief Mathole Buthelezi contributing to traditional music. She was a seventh day adventist member. As imbongi ( praise singer) she transcended the boundaries of this role, which was traditionally a male preserve, to lament on her marriage and the lives of especially the Zulu people. Her career gained momentum in 1939 with a recording of some of her performances by

Hugh Tracey Hugh Travers Tracey was an English ethnomusicologist. He and his wife collected and archived music from Southern and Central Africa. From the 1920s through the 1970s, Tracey made over 35,000 recordings of African folk music. He popularized the mbi ...

. In making public appearances the Princess again broke custom, maintaining her dedication to music. By the 1950s, her music was widely recorded and played by the

South African Broadcasting Corporation The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations ( AM/ FM) as well as six television broadcasts to the general public. It is one of the largest of South Africa's state ...

(SABC), David Rycroft and

West German Radio Westdeutscher Rundfunk Köln (''West German Broadcasting Cologne''; WDR, ) is a German public-broadcasting institution based in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in Cologne. WDR is a constituent member of the conso ...

. These recordings afforded Magogo an international audience and recognition. Her work was made largely from existing Zulu songs and folktales, and she extended them into music accompanied by the ugubhu.

Death and legacy

She died in Durban in 1984. In December 2003 she was posthumously awarded the South African National Order of Ikhamanga in Gold for her composition and contribution to the preservation and development of traditional music in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. In 2002 an opera, ''Princess Magogo'', was performed based on her life. It was performed by Opera Africa for three evenings in Durban in May 2002. Mzilikazi Khumalo, composed the music and the librettist was Themba Msimang.

Sibongile Khumalo Sibongile Khumalo (24 September 1957 – 28 January 2021) was a South African singer and song writer. She sang classical, jazz, opera and traditional South African music. She was noted for singing at the inauguration of Nelson Mandela in 199 ...

, played the title role.

References

Sources

Constance Buthelezi
on "African Composers" *https://web.archive.org/web/20051219180245/http://www.chfestival.org/publications/Princess_Magogo_Study_Guide.pdf {{DEFAULTSORT:Kadinuzulu, Magogo 1900 births 1984 deaths African princesses South African musicians South African women musicians Zulu royalty Zulu people Recipients of the Order of Ikhamanga 20th-century South African musicians 20th-century women musicians