Thandiswa Mazwai On Falling Into Depression After Busi Mhlongo And Hugh Masekela’s Deaths. The Bongo Muffin lead vocalist Thandiswa Mazwai told DJ Sbu and Paul Mnisi that she suffered depression following the death of her mentor and heroine Mam Busi Mhlongo who sang Yehlisan’umoya ma-Afrika, Uganga nge ngane and Yaphel’imali
Thandiswa Mazwai’s grief compounded when Jazz legend, Ntate Hugh Masekela who she worked closely with and looked up to died in January 2018. She revealed that she had close relationship with the late two legends. “I had such a blessing to be friends with my heroes. They were such beautiful human beings,” she said. She further explained that “Bra Hugh and Mam Busi’s capacity to love and give of themselves, that’s the thing you want to learn. You could be good at what you do, but if you don’t have capacity to have an open heart for people to feel loved in your presence, for me that would be the first commandment, where people feel safe in your presence.”
Thandiswa says the legends’ death shook her in a way she didn’t expect. She told DJ Sbu and Paul Mnisi that when Mam Busi Mhlongo lost her battle with breast cancer, she fell into such a deep depression.
Mam Busi Mhlongo died at the age of 62, on the 15th of June 2010 from breast cancer. Busi was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1978. She was in remission until the cancer resurfaced in 2005. She was the first female Maskandi artist to be recorded and left a legacy South Africa could be proud of.
In January 2018 Bra Hugh Masekela died at the age of 78, after a long battle with cancer. In 2019 Thandiswa Mazwai made headlines when she expressed that her tribute to the legend is going to be bittersweet. “I obviously love Bra Hugh’s music, but I’m very sad that he is no longer with us. I am afraid I might cry on stage. I have been a huge fan of Hughey since I was 14. My fist performance with him was with my high school choir. Our friendship was one of the most important relationships of my life, nothing could prepare me for doing Hughey’s music without him, so this is a very special show for me,” she said at the time.
She was amongst many artists that were appointed to pay tribute to Jazz legend at the Hugh Masekela Heritage Festival 80th Birthday celebration.
