Mbongeni Ngema Biography
Mbongeni Ngema is a South African writer, lyricist, composer, director and theatre producer. He is best known for co-writing the multi-award winning Woza Albert!
Mbongeni Ngema Career
In the late 1970s he began acting in local theatre groups. In 1981 together with actor Percy Mtwa he wrote the satirical play Woza Albert!, which imagines that the second coming of Jesus Christ takes place in South Africa.
In 1983 he wrote the musical Asinamali!, which deals with police violence, forced separations from families, and constricting racist laws as experienced by five prisoners.
In 1987 he wrote and produced the musical Sarafina! The title character is a black teenager who at first wants to become a superstar. Instead, inspired by a teacher, she becomes a revolutionary in the 1976 student uprisings in Soweto.
In 1990 he wrote the musical Township Fever which was inspired by a violent strike by South African railway workers.
In 1995 he wrote Mama! The Musical of Freedom which was inspired by the election of Nelson Mandela as president of South Africa in 1994.
Mbongeni Ngema Age
He was born on May 10, 1955 in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He is 63 years old as of 2018.
Mbongeni NgemaMbongeni Ngema Family | Mbongeni Ngema Wife
He married Leleti Khumalo a South African actress in 1992 until their divorce in 2005. After the couple divorced Leleti Khumalo spoke to Nicky Greenwall in 2014 on e.tv’s The Close Up about that marriage to Mbongeni and described it as “disgusting”.
Mbongeni Ngema Sarafina
Sarafina (Leleti Khumalo) is a young black South African struggling for freedom during the apartheid. While she has remained relatively silent in her opposition of the racist government in her country, the movement to make the language of Afrikaans the official language in her school leads her to protest in the streets with her fellow students. Her anti-government views become even more intense when her favorite teacher (Whoopi Goldberg) is arrested for protesting.
Release date: September 18, 1992 (USA)
Director: Darrell Roodt
Story by: Mbongeni
Screenplay: Mbongeni , William Nicholson
Mbongeni Ngema Movies
- Sarafina! (1992)
- The Lion King (1994)
- The House of Shaka (2005)
Mbongeni Ngema Songs
- Lizobuya
- S’timela Sase-Zola
- The Lord’s Prayer
- One Blood featuring Ladysmith Black Mambazo
- Coming Tomorrow
- Stimela Sase Zola
- One Blood
- Laduma
- Rolihlahla Mandela
- Stimela SaseZola
- Ngobamakhosi
- Afrika
- Woza My Fohloza
- Simelane
- Sarafina!
- Safa Saphel’ Isizwe
- Melody Maker
- Woza My-Fohloza
- Give Us Power
- Madlokovu
- My Baby
- Sabela
- Nkonyane Kandaba
- Beautiful Mama’s
- Sarafina
- Freedom Is Coming Tomorrow
- Rolihlahla Mandela (Taken from Mbongeni Ngema
- Vuma Dlozi Lami
- Imbongolo
- Siwiliwili
- Mafufunyane
- Sechaba
- Umagumede
- Bhulukwe Lokuswenka
- Brrr…
- Thina Sizwe
- Libuyile
- Magic At 4am
- Molebogeng (A Woman in My Dreams)
- Ali Bomaye
- Melody Maker (Madlokovu)
- Melody Of Freedom
- Imnandi Leyondaba
- Freedom Is Coming
- African Solution
- Wowongalelane
- Magic
- S’timela Sase-Zola – Mbongeni Ngema
- Thank You Mama
- Time To Unite
Mbongeni Ngema Albums
- Lion Of The East…A Musical Explosion! – 2011
- Magic at 4 A.M – 1993
- Woza My-Fohloza – 1997
- Simuka Na Ndwendwe – 2001
- Laduma – 1994
- Mbongeni Ngema and the Baobab Sisters – 2015
- Forever My Music – 2011
- The Very Best Of – 2011
- Greatest Moments Of – 2015
- Revolutionized – 2009
- From Africa to Afrika! – 2014
- Remembering Nelson Mandela – 2014
- African Kings – 2014
- Township Fever – 2018
Mbongeni Ngema Awards, Nomintions and Honours
- 1987 Tony Award – Asinamali! nominated for Best Direction of a Play
- 1988 Tony Award – Sarafina! received five nominations: Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actress in a Musical.
- 1988 Grammy Award – Sarafina! nominated for a Grammy Award
- 1988 NAACP Image Awards – Sarafina! the musical won 11 NAACP Image Awards in several categories
- Grammy Award – The Lion King, Disney Animated Film, for vocal arrangements
- 1998 – inducted in the New York “Walk of Fame” in front of the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Manhattan, New York City
- 2001 – Dr. Ngema’s name engraved on City Hall Entrance in Durban
- In 2004 he was voted 92nd in the Top 100 Great South Africans.
- 2008 Living Legend Award from the Ethekwini Municipality, Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal
- Honorary Doctorate conferred by the Good Shepherd College
- 2013 – Lifetime Achievement Award at Simon Mabhunu Sabela Film Awards
- 2013 – Inaugural Recognition Award at SAMRO’s Wawela Awards
Mbongeni Ngema Facebook
Mbongeni Ngema Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj-XW7KgJPX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Mbongeni Ngema The Lord’s Prayer
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