Emadlangeni RadioCThe rich musical history of Emadlangeni (Newcastle) is not only defined by the evocative sounds of the concertina and the Makgona Tsohle Band but also by one of the most unique and powerful voices to ever emerge from South Africa. That voice belonged to Simon “Mahlathini” Nkabinde, the man they called the “Lion of Soweto,” whose deep, guttural growl became the defining sound of mbaqanga music .
Born in Newcastle in 1937 or 1938, Mahlathini’s journey to becoming a music legend began in his childhood . After his family moved to Alexandra Township, the young Nkabinde was immersed in a vibrant world of music, leading isicathamiya and mbube choirs at traditional Zulu ceremonies . It was during his teenage years that his voice dramatically deepened, dropping to a booming bass growl that initially alarmed his parents, who feared he had been bewitched. A visit to a traditional healer, or sangoma, revealed a simpler truth: it was just part of growing up and the emergence of a phenomenal talent
He honed his craft alongside his brother Zeph in the group Alexandra Black Mambazo, a name that would later inspire the world-famous Ladysmith Black Mambazo . In the late 1950s, he began his professional recording career at EMI, but his true ascent to stardom began in 1964 when legendary producer Rupert Bopape lured him to the Gallo Record Company’s Mavuthela Music division .
It was here that the stars aligned. Mahlathini was paired with a tight, inventive studio band that would become the Makgona Tsohle Band and a vibrant female vocal group that would be named the Mahotella Queens . Together, they became a supergroup, and Mahlathini’s signature “groaning” style—a raw, powerful basso-profundo—soared over the band’s driving electric rhythms and the Queens’ sweet harmonies. This was the sound of mgqashiyo, a sub-genre of mbaqanga that became the “indestructible beat of Soweto” . Hits like “Sithunyiwe” and “Umoya” poured out, and for the rest of the decade, Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens were inseparable, touring the country and dominating the charts .
After a falling out with the label, the group disbanded in the early 1970s. Mahlathini continued to record, but by the early 1980s, the popularity of mbaqanga had waned, and the great “Lion” was considering retirement . However, fate had other plans. A track from a last-ditch recording session was featured on the 1985 compilation The Indestructible Beat of Soweto, which became a cult hit overseas . This, coupled with the international explosion of interest in South African music following Paul Simon’s Graceland album, led to a triumphant reunion in 1986 .
Reunited with three of the original Mahotella Queens (Hilda Tloubatla, Nobesuthu Mbadu, and Mildred Mangxola) and the Makgona Tsohle Band, Mahlathini was reborn as an international star . Their album Thokozile (1987) was a global success, and they toured the world, captivating audiences in the United States, Europe, and Asia with their electrifying stage presence . Mahlathini, adorned in full traditional Zulu regalia of leopard skins and beads, would stomp and growl while the Queens, in their trademark uniforms and tennis shoes, performed intricate, high-energy dance routines . They performed for 500,000 people in New York’s Central Park and at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute at Wembley Stadium, beamed to 60 countries .
For his monumental contribution to South African music and culture, Simon “Mahlathini” Nkabinde was posthumously awarded The Order of Ikhamanga in Bronze by the South African government .
Simon Nkabinde passed away in Johannesburg on 27 July 1999 due to complications from diabetes . Though the “Lion” was silenced, his roar lives on. His music continues to inspire, and his legacy as the master groaner, a pioneer of mbaqanga, and a global ambassador for South African music remains untouchable—a proud heritage for his birthplace, Emadlangeni. In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine cemented his legacy by ranking him number 153 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time
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