The blind Soweto guitarist who broke barriers over more than five decades in music has died after a short illness.
South African music veteran Babsy Mlangeni has died at the age of 83, following a short illness.
Mlangeni, whose full name was Bernard Mlangeni, was born in Orlando East, Soweto, in 1943. He lost his sight at about the age of three. He learned guitar at the Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town, and went on to build a career as a singer, guitarist and composer. He did so at a time when blind musicians faced steep barriers in the industry.
His early break came with The All Rounders, a group of blind musicians formed in Soweto. He wrote “Sala Emma” about his wife, Emma, and the song became one of his best-known recordings. “Bua Nnete” announced him to a national audience in the early 1970s. Later hits included “Botsotso”, “Lonely Man” and “Umadlembathini.”
His music crossed language lines. He recorded in isiZulu, Sesotho and isiXhosa, and his songs became part of the soundtrack of South African homes for generations.
He received a South African Music Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. In 2025 he was honoured again with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Arts and Culture Awards.
Mlangeni also mentored younger artists, among them fellow visually impaired musician Steve Kekana. He remained connected to music and performing in his later years.
