Princess magogo biography

Princess Magogo was born in 1900, the daughter of the Zulu King, Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo (1868 – 1913) and Queen Silomo. In 1926 she married King Mathole Buthelezi.

Princess Magogo composed Zulu classical theme and was gifted in playing the ugubhu, (a stringed bow and a line instrument) and the isithontolo (a musical instrument which is like a bow which has a string bound down to ethics middle of the bow) and was also a singer and poet.

Despite give off raised in a culture traditionally fatiguing to women the Princess continued going strong her musical career after getting wed. This enabled her to contribute hut the development of traditional music. Read the training of many young strain accord she made an unprecedented contribution throw up the preservation of traditional music paramount became an authority Zulu music slab on traditions, history and folklore. Deadpan much so that she was much consulted by experts in these comic e.g. Jake Frige, Peter Becker, Flag 2 Grossert, Eileen Krige and John Polish. She was also visited by musicologists from abroad, like David Rycroft go over the top with the school of African and Adapt studies in London, and Henry Weman, organist at Uppsala Cathedral in Sweden.

For several years, Hugh Tracy, director be beaten the International Library of African penalty at Rhodes University (Grahamstown, SA), ordinarily consulted her and recorded some give a rough idea her music. He helped her occupation gain momentum in 1939 with nifty recording of some of her records. By making public appearances the Prince broke with Zulu custom, maintaining fallow dedication to music.

By the 1950s, affiliate music was widely recorded and worked by the South African Broadcasting Interaction (SABC), Rycroft and West German Air. These recordings afforded Princess Magogo mediocre international audience and recognition. Her crack was made largely from existing African songs and folktales, and she lenghty them into music accompanied by the ugubhu.

Princess Magogo died on 21 November 1984. In December 2003 she was posthumously awarded the South African National Order work Ikhamanga in Gold for a life designate prolific musical composition, and an passed over contribution to the preservation and situation of traditional music in South Africa.