Remembering Tebogo Steve Kekana: South African Soul &Disco Music Legend

[Photo Credit: Kaya FM]

By Kinyua Mwangi

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Last week, South Africa lost a legend after veteran musician Tebogo Steve Kekana passed away.

Kekana was a man whose music will leave on for years and years to come. He started his music career in the 1980s and left a mark of satisfaction to those who listed to his soul and disco music.

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Kekana was not held back by his disability nor his black color at a time when South Africa discriminated against black people. He forged ahead to remain true to the call. His is a tall tale of a man who defied odds and made South African proud through his musical overtures.

Kekena turned blind at the age of five years due to glaucoma but he kept the faith and looked up to his American idol Steve Wonder. He wanted to pursue law and music, but his mother who raised him single handedly did not have money to send him to university.

He teamed up with the late maestro Lazarus Kgagudi and formed an amateur band. This is when he met EMI’s Tom Vuma who helped him record his first studio album dubbed ‘Munsy’.

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So powerful was ‘Munsy’ that it clinched SABC Black Music Awards for best male vocalist in 1979 and 1980. His second album ‘Please Don’t Stop The Music’ spread fame across Europe in the mid- 80s and early 90s. He tremendously fought against discrimination though music.

In the 1980s, the government banned black people from singing in English as it was a reserve for white people only. However, he made a bold move and recorded ‘Feel so strong’ and sang with a white woman to send a statement.

It shocked everyone. He died an icon who pushed for equality though his 40 albums that he did during his music career. His most popular songs include Take Your Love, Shine On (Birghtly), Haufi Le Morena among others.