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Wednesday 6 July 2022

King Paul The First

So far in our Tsonga Disco revival run we've taken a fairly laissez faire approach to the royal lineage. We've covered Peta Teanet, Penny Penny and Benny Mayengani but there are a couple of Tsonga Disco kings who are missing. 

One is General Muzka, who slots in between Penny and Benny and who we will feature next week. The other is the man who arguably founded the line, Paul 'Sailor Man' Ndlovu. It is Paul's turn today.

Paul paid his dues in groups like The Street Kids and The Movers in the late 1970s and early 1980s but it was only when he went solo in 1985 and teamed up with producer Peter 'Hitman' Moticoe that he really hit it big. 

His debut single "Khombora Mina" ("My Disappointment") was a massive smash, and is generally regarded as the first time that traditional Tsonga and pop sounds were brought together on record.  

Sadly, like Peta Teanet after him, Paul's reign was glorious but brief. He died in a car crash in late 1986, barely 18 months after "Khombora Mina" was released. His legacy lives on though.

"Hita Famba Moyeni" - Paul Ndlovu

"Mokon'wana" - Paul Ndlovu

Slightly to my surprise I managed to find a video of Paul on YouTube. Apologies for the ropey quality. As a bonus we've bunged in another Paul N who sometimes hung out with sailor men.    

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