Tsakani Mhinga
Tsakani Mhinga | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | TK |
| Born | 23 November 1978 Mary Mount Hospital, R&B |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 2000โ2006 |
| Labels | Gallo Records |
Tsakani "TK" Mhinga (23 November 1978 โ 27 February 2006) was a multiple SAMA award winning South African
She was found dead in a hotel room in Bryanston, Johannesburg by hotel staff on 27 February 2006 of a drug overdose. It remains unclear whether the overdose was intentional or accidental.
Early life
Born in Soweto, Johannesburg, Tsakani was the eldest child of Tebogo Mhinga and Hosi Shilungwa Cydrick Mhinga of the VaTsonga tribe, making her tribal royalty. At age 12 she first sang in public, singing "Over the Rainbow" at a talent competition.
Career
Her first taste of the music industry came from her electric, chemistry driven collaboration A Place for a Wife with
Since her father was opposed to her being a singer, she launched her solo musical career without telling her family as soon as she got her matric. She released Mind Yo' Business from her debut album, TKO and received critical acclaim for her vocals and international approach when it came to her music, but she was often ridiculed and criticised for not doing the vernacular, which was Kwaito or Afro-pop. The singer had her fair share of legal battles which occurred when TK was offered a seven album recording deal in the UK, only to have it revoked after threats from the local company that had produced her debut album. "I wanted to quit so many times. I never thought I'd bounce back", said TK about the incident.
This was followed in 2001 by a second album, Tsakani, that included the club hit Eject yo' ass, and the R&B radio hit I Find It So Strange. The 23-year-old singer won her second consecutive best R&B album at the SAMA awards and nominated for best female vocalist of the year.
In 2002, TK performed with international act
Her third and last album, Black Butterfly (2003) was considered her best, it was seen as a celebration of life and showcased the abundant music styles that TK excelled in. It included the upbeat "In This Piece" featuring Stagga, "How Do You Feel", "Black Butterfly" which received a warm reception and play listed on local radio stations, and a poignant rendition of "Over the Rainbow", of which TK professed a certain fondness. In celebration of this album, TK had the image of a butterfly tattooed on her in celebration of the new album. She said it was the record company boss' idea. "I made him phone my mother and ask her permission. She was fine with it. I'm very happy with it.... I think it's beautiful." For the album, she received her third consecutive best R&B SAMA award and for best music arrangement for the title track with her longtime producer Alexis Faku at the 2004 SAMA awards .
Despite being a celebrated artist, none of TK's albums sold more than 25,000 copies, though she still hoped to reach a worldwide
Legal and contractual battles
During her short career, TK had some considerable legal wrangles, the first; surrounding her stage name "TK", with that of similar sounding Kwaito group
Musical style
Her music is a
TK had vocals which were often compared to Mariah Carey and when asked to comment on the similarity she said. "I think it's great, personally. She is one of the people who inspired me to get into the game and the plan was to make music that appeals to the world. If people are comparing me to a person who was it for an entire decade then I'm doing something right!" Her voice had a sincere yet powerful quality in it and she was often regarded as one of the country's best vocalists. TK had a considerable following under the South African
Personal life
In 2002, she caused minor tremors posing nude for local women's magazine
Death
On the day before her death, Sunday 26 February 2006, she, apparently, was entertaining a few friends, including kwaito star Mandoza, at the hotel where she was staying. The gathering subsequently turned into a late-night party in her hotel room. At around 10:00 on Monday 27 February she spoke on the phone with her manager, and at around 11:00 a friend dropped by, wanting to take her to lunch. She declined, saying she was going to take a bath. Mhinga was found dead at approximately 13:30 by hotel staff, after she failed to answer their calls. Speculation that someone else was in the room with her is derived from the fact that her partially dressed body was found covered with a sheet. Police have stated though, that her body did not have any marks on it, and that there was no sign of forced entry into her room.[citation needed] The most common assumption is that the cause of death was either a drug overdose or a drug-induced suicide.
Mhinga was working on her fourth album at the time of her death. EMI records plans to release a compilation of her work. A trust had also been established for her young son. Local newspapers were quick to make comparisons between Tsakani Mhinga's death and that of other 27-year-old musicians, such as Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain.
Awards
TK received four
Discography
- TKO 2000
- Tsakani 2001
- Black Butterfly 2003
References
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (February 2008) |
- ^ Musica โ On-line South African CD Sales Archived 5 January 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- "A Diva Silenced". Mamba Online. March 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2006.
- "Young, gifted and dicing with death". allAfrica.com. March 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2006.
- "TK Biography". Musica.co.za. 2002. Archived from the original on 5 January 2006. Retrieved 24 March 2006.
- "Tsakani Mhinga passes away". Music Industry Online. February 2006. Retrieved 11 March 2006.
- "South African singer found dead". BBC News. February 2006. Retrieved 11 March 2006.
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