Lifetime Achievement honours for South African greats
The late HHP will also be remembered as the host of the awards and for the mentor role he played to many artists.
SAMA25 will bestow the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards to the late hip hop star HHP, kwaito legends TKZee and the acclaimed 90s group, Mango Groove.
HHP who passed away last year will be remembered for the critical role he played in making Motswako a force to be reckoned with. His career is punctuated with a series of firsts, including being one of the first artists to make rapping over a kwaito beat popular as well as being the first hip hop artist to have multiple successful sync deals.
The trailblazing Mango Groove was started in 1984 with their unique brand of music fusing marabi and kwela. Their hits “Special Star”, “Another Country” and “Moments Away” to name a few became anthems that sealed their position as the emblematic rainbow nation for being multi ethnic at a time of apartheid.
READ: SAMAs are headed to Sun City for an epic 25-year milestone celebration
TKZee were the poster boys of cool in the 1990s as they pioneered a sound so unique in the process rewriting South Africa’s music history books by becoming the biggest selling kwaito group. The three piece boy band of Kabelo Mabalane, Zwai Bala and Tokollo Tshabalala gave local audiences classics such as Palalafala and Shibobo.
In 1999 TKZee experienced their biggest night at the SAMAs when they scooped five awards including Best Duo/Group and Best Kwaito Album, a record they held on to for years.
The SAMA25 takes place on May 31 and June 1 at Sun City. It will be broadcast live on June 1 on SABC 1 at 20:00.
