Remembering Doc Shebeleza: the legacy of a kwaito pioneer
South Africans are devastated by the passing of Doc Shebeleza, real name Victor Bogopane, while still mourning the loss of Winnie Khumalo, who passed away earlier this week.
They were both 51. Children born in the 2000s probably think of Cassper Nyovest’s song when they hear the name Doc Shebeleza but to millennials and the previous generations, he was a legend who played a huge role in amplifying kwaito music.
Born in 1973 in Soweto, Shebeleza’s music career began at an early age but he only blew up in 1995 when he dropped his hit single, "Ghets Ghetsa”.
The following year, he released his debut album, “S'Kumfete”, which was available on cassette as technology was not as advanced at the time.
In 1997, he released another album, “Tiger”. In 2001 he was at the peak of his career and dropped two albums, "Ingagara” and “Jiva Yoyo” (2001).
I was in Grade 2 when “Jiva Yoyo” (a hit single on the album 'Jiva Yoyo') dropped. As children, we were not allowed to listen to it because of the lyrics and the music video was a bit on the risqué side.
All that content was forbidden at home. Parents said it would have a negative influence on us, little did they know that twerking, as it is now called, would be normalised later.
The following year, he dropped “Yashaya”, followed by “Amantombaza” (2005) and “Charmer Boy” in 2009.
In 2018, he was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Mzansi Kwaito and House Music Awards. Shout out to the organisers because he deserved it.
Shebeleza’s passing is hard-hitting because he was a pioneer in kwaito music. With him and other icons like Mandoza and Mapaputsi gone, there is little hope for the genre progressing.
These are the people who moulded kwaito music and ran with it. That is why songs like Mandoza’s “Nkalakatha” will remain a national treasure because it offers a unique South African sound that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
To prove that Shelebeza was an icon,Nyovest made a song about him, “Doc Shebeleza”, and it went viral. Not only did it top the charts and dominate radio stations, but that song also made Nyovest’s career.
In 2014, when Nyovest dropped his debut album “Tsholofelo”, “Doc Shebeleza” was one of the hit singles that made him win the most awards at the Channel O Music Video Awards 2014, where he walked away with three awards: Most Gifted Male, Most Gifted Southern Artist and Most Gifted Video of the Year.
In 2015, he also dominated the Metro FM Awards, where he won Best Hip Hop Album, Best Male Album, Best Hit Single, Song of the Year and the Listener’s Choice Award.
At the South African Music Awards (2015), he won Newcomer of the Year because of “Doc Shebeleza”.
As one of the people who inspired and influenced Nyovest’s music, South Africans remember Shebeleza with his hilarious lyrics.
“RIP, Doc Shebeleza. He gave us good music with entertaining Lyrics. "ingagara ngeke u yi thole idla i pie [You’ll never see a big shot eating pie]," said @Rossluv.
Another fan, @LethuTheLegend, said: “RIP, Doc Shebeleza. Dude was out here promoting safe sex in his songs during the HIV pandemic. We lost a real one today.”
More tributes are expected to follow.