Kabelo Mabalane Pays Tribute to Late TKZee Bandmate Magesh on His 50th Birthday: “Rest in Peace”
- Kabelo Mabalane released a preview of his tribute single, Magesh Is Beethoven, to mark what would have been Tokollo Tshabalala's 50th birthday
- Magesh passed away on 15 August 2022 after suffering a seizure, leaving a massive void in South African kwaito music
- Kabelo shared an emotional message recalling 30 years of brotherhood, wild road trips, and music that changed the world
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Source: Instagram
Kwaito icon Kabelo Mabalane has poured his grief and love into a new song honouring his late TKZee bandmate Tokollo "Magesh" Tshabalala, releasing a preview of the track on what would have been Magesh's 50th birthday. The tribute has brought fans to tears across social media.
Magesh passed away on 15 August 2022 after suffering a seizure, leaving a lasting hole in the South African music scene. To mark what would have been his milestone birthday, Kabelo shared a snippet of his new single, Magesh Is Beethoven, lifted from his album Everybody Needs Somebody. The track reflects on three decades of friendship, shared stages, and a brotherhood forged through the highs and lows of life on the road.
Alongside the preview, Kabelo penned a deeply personal message that captured the full weight of his loss.
"Some friendships go beyond time, beyond music, beyond this life. What we shared was bigger than the moments we lived; we created memories that will live forever, and left a legacy that can never be erased. Tokollo, not a day goes by that your presence isn't missed," he wrote.
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He went further, painting a vivid picture of the adventures the two shared, making clear this was not just a tribute to a legend, but a letter to a brother.
"Magesh, we changed the world. We toured the world. We got arrested, we fought, we cried. We drove more than 200km/h on the highway. We won big, and we lost big. We've lived five lifetimes in the 30 years. What a ride it's been. Rest in peace."
Kabelo's return to music after ministry
The release comes as part of Kabelo's wider comeback to the music scene, which began on 3 September after more than a decade in full-time ministry. He has been clear that his return is not about choosing one identity over another.
"This album isn't me choosing between artist or pastor. It's me living between them, harnessing both their strengths to impact people's lives," he said.
He described the project as a collection of "street psalms — tight beats, declarations, encouragements, prayers, and invitations," adding that South Africa needs music like this for the current moment.
Fans remember Magesh
The tribute resonated deeply with followers and longtime TKZee fans alike. Here are some of the reactions:
@refilwemodiselle recalled:
"He really is missed; he always used to poke fun at me. But it was done with love. May his memory live on forever ♥️♥️♥️🕯️🙏🏻🕯️"
@liedz_ asked:
"Who's chopping onions 😢❤️ love you guys 🐐🐐🐐"
@manxuba_ said:
"What a beautiful track 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥"
@djmeechsa remarked:
"The 🐐 You guys are so legendary, bro, forever indebted. Thank you for the music and the cool."
@melusi.s.kubheka applauded:
"The best to ever do it, Gush Magesh. Thanks for keeping Magesh's memory alive.🙌🙏🕊️🎶✍️"
@kwa_togu recounted:
"Y'all were wild yhoo 😂😂, kwaito's bad boys. I fell in love with your music after I heard Masimbela, then I heard Shibobo in 1998. I had already been hearing Magesh's Sidididi and Gusheshe as they were on rotation on the radio... I'll forever respect you gents, Bouga Luv, Magesh and Zwai.🙌"
Listen to the preview of the song by clicking the link.
Source: Instagram
Gail and Kabelo Mabalane launch HPV awareness campaign
Meanwhile, Briefly News reported that Gail Mabalane and her husband, Kabelo Mabalane, partnered with MSD to run an HPV awareness campaign.
Kabelo released a song titled Lalela Masithi HPV as part of the campaign, with Gail sharing behind-the-scenes studio footage.
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Source: Briefly News
