South African Kwaito Artist Mshoza Passes Away

South African kwaito artist Mshoza, real name Nomasonto Maswanganyi, has passed away recently according to eNCA. The outspoken musician, who was best known for her hit song "Kortes", was only 37-years-old. The cause of her death has not as yet been confirmed but it is reported by News24 that she was undergoing treatment at the Far East Rand Hospital in Johannesburg. South Africans and the broader music industry have paid their heartfelt tributes to the artist on various social media platforms.

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OkayAfrica's Sabelo Mkhabela describes Mshoza's "Kortes", which was released more than a decade ago, as "one of [her] best works" and adds that "an R&B influence on the production and some autotune on the hook made for one of the most perfect kwaito songs of all time." Despite the anthemic nature of the song, it never received any awards.

Mshoza, however, was nominated for "Best Kwaito Single" by the Metro FM Music Awards back in 2017 following the release of her wildly successful single titled "Abantu Bam'". The nomination was the artist's first-ever and came after she had been in the music industry for a whopping 18 years.

Mshoza was certainly right up there with fellow kwaito legends the likes of the late Lebo Mathosa, Thembi Seethe, and many of her male counterparts both alive and those who have passed on. Her outspoken nature on issues such as gender-based violence (GBV) and domestic abuse made her stand head-and-shoulders above the rest of many of her peers.

South Africans on social media have paid tribute to the singer: