Tsidii Le Loka-Lupindo (born April 3, 1968, in
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
) is an actress, vocalist and composer from South Africa and The Kingdom of Lesotho. She is best known for originating the role of Rafiki in the original
Broadway production of
Disney's stage musical, ''
The Lion King''.
Theatre
Prior to coming to the United States, The Star Newspaper named Tsidii one of the most promising artists in
South Africa. Tsidii collaborated and performed as a guest star in various productions including "
Riverdance" on Broadway, in which she shared the stage with Irish star Brian Kennedy; and in "Canciones Antes una Guerra / Songs Before the War" (Maria Pages' Flamenco Company) which toured Spain and Italy and won best show of the Seville Bi-Centinial Flamenco Festival (XIII Bienal De Flamenco de Sevilla). With the invitation of her now-deceased mentor Anneline Malebo (former lead singer of the female trio JOY), Tsidii started her career as a member of the newly formed South African Trio "Shadiii" with Anneline Malebo and Faith Kekana.
In 1997, Le Loka originated the role of Rafiki in the first Broadway cast of ''The Lion King'', produced by Disney and directed by
Julie Taymor. For her performance, Tsidii received the
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...
,
Drama League Award and
Outer Critics Circle Award
The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...
for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, and garnered a
Tony Award nomination. Tsidii was the only performer in ''The Lion King'' to also compose a piece, "Rafiki Mourns". She has also been awarded the
Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement in Musical Theatre from The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters (the first woman of Southern African original to receive this award). Tsidii stayed on the production for almost a year, leaving in mid-1998. She was replaced by South African singer
Thuli Dumakude
Thuli Daisy Dumakude is a South African-born singer-songwriter and Broadway actress. She is best known for having originated the title role in 1983's ''Poppie Nongena'', for which she received the Laurence Olivier Award for Actress of the Year in ...
. In 1999 she played Bloody Mary in
South Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
at the
Dallas Theater Center
The Dallas Theater Center is a major regional theater in Dallas, Texas, United States. It produces classic, contemporary and new plays and was the 2017 Tony Award recipient for Best Regional Theater.
Dallas Theater Center produces its original w ...
.
Other work
Le Loka's film and TV credits include roles in two made-for-television movies, ''
Rose Red'' and ''
The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer
''The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer: My Life at Rose Red'' is a 2001 novel by Ridley Pearson focusing on the life of the fictional John and Ellen Rimbauer and the construction of their mansion, Rose Red, in the early 20th century. Built on an old Ind ...
'', and ''Law & Order''. Her television special "Caught In The Act" on WGBY won an Iris Award for best local program. The television special ''Tsidii Le Loka In Concert'' aired on TBS. She was invited to perform at Dr.
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 ...
's first International Press Conference in Johannesburg after his release from prison. Tsidii holds two degrees: BA Economics and BA Music (both with honors from The University Of Massachusetts, Amherst) and a Diploma in Speech and Drama from The Trinity College of Music, London.
Family history
On her maternal side, Tsidii is a South African traditional princess. She is a descendant of
King Langalibalele I, a 19th-century
amaHlubi king.
Albums
* ''Here's To The Night'', original CD (featuring Tsidii)
* ''The Lion King On Broadway'', original cast (featuring Tsidii, Heather Headley, Jason Raize, Sam Wright and company)
* Yusef Lateef, ''Heart Vision'' (featuring Tsidii and Neenna Freelon)
* Bob Beldon, ''When Doves Cry'' (featuring Tsidii, Casandra Wilson, Fareed Haque and others)
* ''Riverdance On Broadway'' (featuring Tsidii, Brian Kennedy and Riverdance company)
* Tsidii Le Loka, ''Here's To The Night'' (featuring Tsidii)
* Shadiii, ''Livin It Up'' (featuring Tsidii, Anneline Malebo, Faith Kekana)
* Shadiii, ''Last Chance'' (featuring Tsidii, Anneline Malebo, Faith Kekana)
Awards and nominations
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Le Loka, Tsidii
Living people
Lesotho emigrants to the United States
American stage actresses
Drama Desk Award winners
1968 births
21st-century American women