Joseph Shabalala

South African singer and musician (1940–2020) Joseph ShabalalaBornBhekizizwe Joseph Siphatimandla Mxoveni Mshengu Shabalala(1940-08-28)28 August 1940Ladysmith, South AfricaDied11 February 2020(2020-02-11) (aged 79)Pretoria, South AfricaOccupationsSingercomposermusical directorYears active1960–2014Formerly ofLadysmith Black MambazoMusical artist Bhekizizwe Joseph Shabalala (28 August 1940 – 11 February 2020) was a South African singer and musician who was the founder and musical director of the choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Early life and career Bhekizizwe Joseph Shabalala was born on 28 August 1940, in the town of Ladysmith (eMnambithi district) in the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa. His parents, Jonathan Mluwane Shabalala and Nomandla Elina Shabalala, raised Joseph and his six siblings on a white-owned farm called Tugela. His father died in the late 1940s; Joseph, being the eldest, had to take care of the family. He left the farm, however, in 1958 to search for work in the nearby city of Durban. During this time, he was spotted by a well-known group, the Durban Choir, after he delighted audiences with his smooth guitar playing and soprano voice. When he joined