Zimbabwe’s arts industry has been robbed of yet another artist, sound engineer Siphosenkosi Mkhuhlani aka TBA the Playboy, who died on Sunday in a car accident on his way home from Chez Ntemba International club in Pretoria, South Africa.
TBA and his fiancée Theresa Tafirenyika aka Terri Fik, were killed as they drove home following the successful launch of his first CD titled Uchandifunga.
Mkhuhlani was also chief executive Producer of the Chigutiro stable. He was the person that propped up many urban groove hits including the hit song Wandinoda sung by his best friend, Nox Guni.
The driver only identified as Kudzi, tried overtaking a truck, but lost control of the vehicle just outside PTA CBD on Sunday around 5am. Tafirenyika died instantly whilst Mkhuhlani passed on a few hours later in hospital.
“I always moved around with TBA everywhere I went. Most of you knew that and for some odd reason, I was in a different car when it happened,” posted Guni on his Facebook profile.
Guni told NewsDay Mkhuhlani had certainly transformed his career by producing all his six albums and four others yet to be released.
Guni said Mkuhlani’s sudden death came at a time the artist had completed his first-ever album which featured various other urban groove artists including Nox himself.
“Our aim was to have at least 10 unreleased albums by December and one album for release in December, which I will do as we had agreed,” said Guni.
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He said many artists had received the news of the untimely death with great shock and since then condolence messages have been pouring in from many people including, Alick Macheso, Diana Samkange, XQ, Russo and Take 5 among others. Urban Grooves Association public relations officer Joe Machingura said the news of Mkhuhlani’s death was horrific.
“It is so sad because he was one of the best producers in the industry who produced one of the best albums in urban groves with Take 5 titled, Chamhembe. He was one of the biggest urban groove strengths,” said Machingura.
TBA started his career in 2000 when he teamed up with Take 5 to form That Squad Studios which later became Chamhembe and he launched many artists’ careers such as Ngoni Kambarami, 2BG, Blush, Extra Large, Diana Samkange, Shaynedingz and many more.
In 2004, he established his own label Chigutiro Records, which housed most of the artists above. He also worked on Chigutiro phases one, two and three.
He left for South Africa to join his friend Nox after he lost studio equipment to theft in 2008.
Guni said funeral arrangements were yet to be announced.
