Sello "Chicco" Twala (born 5 June 1963) is a South African musician and producer who has collaborated with many well known artists in the music industry, including Nkosana Kodi and

Brenda Fassie Brenda Nokuzola Fassie (3 November 1964 – 9 May 2004) was a South African singer, songwriter, dancer and activist. Affectionately called MaBrrr by her fans, she is also known as the "Queen of African Pop", the "Madonna of The Townships" or si ...

. He has created some of South Africa's hit songs. In the 1970s he played in soul bands including Umoja, Sipho "Hotstix" Mabuse's Harari, and formed his own band, Image.

Early life

Twala was born in

Soweto Soweto () is a township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western Townships''. Formerly a s ...

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

. He is a famous

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 ...

n musician and music producer. Twala attended Bopasanatla High School.

Career

Twala's first triple platinum release in 1987 was a record that included the song "We Miss You Manelo", a reference to

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

who was still a prisoner on

Robben Island Robben Island ( af, Robbeneiland) is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrik ...

at the time. The song ''Too Late for Mama'', produced by Twala and sung by Brenda Fassie, also achieved platinum status. He was well known in the 1980s for his African pop and

disco music Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric piano ...

. His soul ballad "Peace Song", was recorded by a South African cast in 1992, just before the nation's first democratic election. Some of his songs feature in

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''

Lion king II ''The Lion King II: Simba's Pride'' (also titled as ''The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride'', ''The Lion King Two: Simba's Pride'') is a 1998 American animated direct-to-video musical romantic drama film. It is the sequel to Disney's 1994 animated featu ...

''. He collaborated with poet

Mzwakhe Mbuli Mzwakhe Mbuli (born 1 August 1959) is a South African poet, Mbaqanga singer and former Deacon at Apostolic Faith Mission Church in Naledi Soweto, South Africa. Known as "The People's Poet, Tall Man, Mbulism, The Voice Of Reason", he is the father o ...

on the 1990 hit song "Papa Stop The War". Twala also wrote songs for and produced the album ''Memeza'', for a comeback by the late Brenda Fassie. Some of Twala's songs feature in Walt Disney's ''Lion King II''. Grassroots musical talent is developed through his studios in

. He has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement

South African Music Award The South African Music Awards (often simply the SAMAs) are the Recording Industry of South Africa's music industry awards, established in 1995. The ceremony is held annually, usually in late April or May, with the judging process starting in N ...

. and a Metro FM Music Award."12th Metro FM Music Awards"
''Channel 24''. Twala's Modjadji was also one of the official soundtracks of the British comedy ''"The Brothers Grimsby", a movie released in 2016.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Twala, Sello Chicco 1963 births Living people South African musicians South African record producers