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Quick Facts
Born
1947
1947
From
South Africa
South Africa
Journey
Busisiwe Victoria Mhlongo stands among the most original voices in South African music, with a career that stretched across decades, continents, and evolving sound traditions. Her work moved freely between rooted Zulu musical forms and modern influences, creating a style that remained unmistakably her own.
She was born on 28 October 1947 in Inanda, near Durban, and grew up in a setting where music was part of everyday life. Early exposure came through church singing and community performances, where her vocal ability became evident long before she entered professional recording spaces.
Her professional break arrived in the 1960s after being discovered by a Gallo Music scout. Recording under the name Victoria Mhlongo, she released an early version of “My Boy Lollipop” in 1963, marking her first recorded step into the South African music industry.
As her career developed, she moved into theatre productions and ensemble performances, including work with Early Mabuza’s Big Five and touring stage productions such as the African Follies. These opportunities expanded her reach beyond South Africa and introduced her to international performance circuits.
From the late 1960s onward, she performed across multiple countries, including Mozambique, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and various parts of Europe. During this period, she worked alongside exile musicians and collaborated with acts such as Osibisa, as well as respected South African figures like Dudu Pukwana and Hugh Masekela. Her career during these years reflected a growing international presence built on live performance and collaboration.
In the 1980s, she spent much of her time based in the Netherlands, where she became active within the global world music circuit. This period strengthened her reputation as a performer who could move across stylistic boundaries while maintaining a strong connection to Zulu-rooted musical expression.
Her most defining recording phase came in the 1990s with solo projects that brought her international recognition. Albums such as "Barbentu" (1993) and "Urban Zulu" (1998) positioned her at the centre of a renewed global interest in South African music. Urban Zulu gained particular attention, charting in world music spaces and introducing her work to wider international audiences.
Across her career, she received recognition, including South African Music Awards and a Kora Award, reflecting both local and continental acknowledgment of her contribution.
She passed away on 15 June 2010 in Durban after a long illness, leaving behind a body of work that continues to influence artists across different genres.
Her legacy rests in how she carried traditional musical foundations into new contexts without separating them from their cultural roots, creating a body of work defined by identity, movement, and reinvention.