The South African music industry and the public on Saturday mourned the sad news of ntate Jonas Gwangwa’s passing. Further to being celebrated for cultivating a stellar catalogue of timeless classic world renowked, Gwangwa is also noted for his indelible contributions to the fight against Apartheid.

According to Times Live, the Jazz legend narrowly escaped death when his home was blown up by security forces in 1985.

President Cyril Ramaphosa shared condolences through Twitter on Saturday, lauding Ntate Jonas Gwangwa for his boldness and bravery.

A giant of our revolutionary cultural movement and our democratic creative industries has been called to rest; the trombone that boomed with boldness and bravery, and equally warmed our hearts with mellow melody has lost its life force.#RIPJonasGwangwa pic.twitter.com/hlg4PyKQl4

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) January 23, 2021

RiSA, the Recording Industry issued a statement in which they express their grief over the death of a giant.

It is with deep sadness that we learn of the passing away of Ntate Jonas Mosa Gwangwa today. A legend of music and the pride of South Africa. Through his trombone that reverberated across the world he made us proud as a cultural ambassador during the dark days of apartheid. He is a recipient of the SA Music Awards Lifetime Achievement (SAMA6) in recognition of his work that spans decades. We as The Recording Industry of South Africa send our condolences to the Gwangwa family, friends, his supporters and the music loving public of South Africa and the world. It’s indeed the end of a glorious era.

Condolences have continued pouring in on social media.

Mlindo The Vocalist on Friday made a big return to the music scene through the release of his brand new single ‘Imali’. This time the KZN native has partnered with Nathi.

Of the collab, Mlindo the Vocalist said: “ I am a big fan of Nathi and I am so honoured to have him on the song with me. I actually can’t really believe that I have a song with Nathi!“ said the ‘Egoli’ hit maker.

The song soulfully explores the age-old experience that countless South Africans have had to undertake of moving to Johannesburg to work and support their families back home. It also describes the pain of becoming successful and people only see you as a meal ticket.

“A lot of people know how it feels to be financially responsible for your family – black tax – and sometimes even your friends. You don’t even enjoy going out anymore because everyone looks to you when the bill comes,” said Mlindo.

Stream or Download ‘Mali’ here: Mlindo.lnk.to/MFN

Discover New Music, Exclusive Interviews and Album Reviews on QuenchSA.com!

Hosted by hip hop superstar Khuli Chana ‘The Originators’ an eight-part series got a resounding positive nod from viewers and will return for a second season in 2021. Profiling hip hop royalty like Kwesta, Nadia Nakai, PH and A-Reece, the programme gave audiences a closer, more intimate look into the lives of their favourite musicians.

Having to adapt to a dramatic global change in mindset across all industries this year, Trace made some moves to creatively navigate the new norm by focusing on gender equality and also deliver a slew of new shows like The Originators, All Black Sessions, and House of Trace.

TRACE original content like ‘HOUSE OF TRACE’ offered viewers the closest thing to ‘LIVE’ entertainment, from the safety of their homes, during lockdown from the global pandemic.  The fiery 18-episode series ALL BLACK SESSIONS showcased an array of known and upcoming South African DJ’s, across various genres. With the large increase in various show formats to the off-the-cuff programming solutions, Trace switched up the content grids across all their channels: Trace Urban, Trace Gospel and Trace Africa.

With the grid upgrade, TRACE URBAN today confirmed a total of 21 new shows including TOP 10 GQOM, R&B VIBEZ, REWIND and FEMME HOUR. New inclusion to the channel’s grid is BTB, an exciting show which will profile and showcase the best ‘Newbies’ on the music scene. A selection of dope revamped Countdown shows is another fresh addition to the channel’s offering.

TRACE GOSPEL will double its local content programming with a total of 15 shows including popular listings PRAISE VIBES, SOUNDS OF SOUTH AFRICA, STAR UP and BEST AFRICA 10. With the success of TRACE GOSPEL came a competition to win a music video production sponsored by TRACE as an initiative to boost the career of an up and coming artist. The official winner RAJEY’s music video for song Tendre Ami, premiered 2 December 2020.

   “With the entertainment industry being so badly affected this year, the Trace team focused on positive change for the audience and local talent alike,with our on-going commitment to ensure artist empowerment on the continent, inclusion and equality for all.. This year not only set into motion so many new and innovative ideas that were initiated onto the channel, but also propelled us in the right direction for years to come” shared Trace’s Managing Director – Southern Africa & Regional Director Anglophone Africa Valentine Gaudin-Muteba.

You can find Trace Urban on DStv channel 325,  Trace Africa (DStv channel 326) and Trace Gospel (DStv channel 332) for your best local, International and African content. Alternatively, keep it locked on Trace social media platforms:

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