South Africans mourn bubblegum hitmaker Dan Tshanda

The Dalom Music label owner died of heart failure in Johannesburg on Saturday. He was 54 years old.   

"Dalom Music is hereby confirming the passing away of music maestro Dan Tshanda today. He suffered heart failure earlier at Sandton Mediclinic where he was declared dead,” family spokesperson Moudy Ngwedzeni Mudzielwana wrote on social media.

Tshanda will be laid to rest in Chiawelo, Soweto, where he was born. Funeral arrangements will be communicated later in the week, the family said.

News of his death sparked an outpour of grief on social media from politicians, fellow musicians and fans across Africa and beyond.

South African Minister of Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa paid tribute to the singer in a press statement on Sunday.

"The loss of Mr Tshanda is a major blow to the country. It is truly a blessing for us as a country to have had such a talented artist who played a big role in promoting the South African brand of music throughout the continent," part of the statement reads. 

Mudzielwana told Power FM that the family had also received a condolence message from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Kwaito maestro Arthur Mafokate told Sowetan Live that Tshanda had been a role model to young musicians.

"We used to rehearse next to his house and we all wanted to be as successful as him," he said. "We all dreamt of owning microbuses that we would write our names on.

"The first time we saw microbuses that were branded was from Dan Tshanda's Splash. For us it was inspiring that you can make it coming from the ghetto."

Tshanda rose to stardom in the 1980s when he formed Splash, a band that was initially called Flying Squad and included the late musicians Penwell Kunene and Joseph Tshimange. The group went on to release albums such as Snake, Money, Crocodile and their most popular, Peacock, which was released in 1986 and featured the group’s No 1 hit of the same title.

In 1999, Tshanda set up Dalom Music, under which he released several albums including Ndivhuwo and Sethopha. The albums gained popularity at home and in neighbouring countries including Botswana and Zimbabwe. 

His latest project, a Splash album, was due for release in March 2019 under the label, which has also produced hits for various artists such as Patricia Majalisa, Matshikos, Dalom Kids, Don B and Hexa.