West Nkosi
West Nkosi (1940 – 8 October 1998) was a South African music producer, saxophonist and songwriter. Nkosi was born in Nelspruit, South Africa. He was an original member of the Makgona Tsohle Band which backed Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens.
West Nkosi
- Name
- West Nkosi
- Born
- 1940
- Birthplace
- Nelspruit, South Africa
- Died
- 8 October 1998
- Occupation
- Musician, Composer, Producer, Recording artist
- Nationality
- South Africa
- Fields
- jazz
- Languages
- English
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q1280506 · wikipedia · West Nkosi
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Institutions cited
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
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Biography
Biography
He was also a producer in the Mavuthela Music subsidiary of Gallo Record Company where he produced thousands of recordings by several famous South African artists, including the first 22 records for Ladysmith Black Mambazo (he managed the group until their international discovery in 1987). Nkosi also produced all the international releases for Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens, and the Makgona Tsohle Band between 1986 and 1991, when he left both the Mahlathini and the Queens and Makgona Tsohle to concentrate solely on producing. Nkosi did, however, return to the recording studio with the critically acclaimed Rhythm of Healing: Supreme Sax and Penny Whistle Township Jive, in 1993. Nkosi was paralyzed in an automobile accident in August 1998, and died from his injuries two months later, at 58 years old.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — West Nkosi • Born — 1940 • Birthplace — Nelspruit, South Africa • Died — 8 October 1998 • Instruments — Alto saxophone, Penny whistle (Tin whistle) • Genre — Lively, Upbeat, Dance • Occupation — Musician, Composer, Producer, Recording artist • Associated Acts — Mahlathini, Mahlathini & Mahotella Queens, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Makgona Tsohle Band
Documentary record
West Nkosi was a musician, born in 1940 in Mbombela and died on 8 October 1998 in Johannesburg. Both events are recorded by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Mbombela.
Birth place
Johannesburg.
Death place
Selected discography
• Albums • Sixteen Original Sax Jive Hits – Vol 1 (1991) • Rhythm of Healing: Supreme Sax and Penny Whistle Township Jive (1993) • Sixteen Original Jive Hits – Vol 2 (2000) • Contributing artist • The Rough Guide to the Music of South Africa (1998, World Music Network)
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article West Nkosi, revision 1306423958 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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Citations
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 24 August 2026.
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