Top SA Cabaret Legend Serenades Gabz

By Monkagedi Gaotlhobogwe
Staff Writer | Monday November 16, 2009 00:00

He is Thapelo Mofokeng who is regarded by many as South Africa's number one jazz and blues cabaret artist. The  actor and singer, was in Gaborone over the weekend, courtesy of the Kalahari Conservation Society (KCS) and Stanbic Bank who pooled resources to bring him into the city.  Performing before VIPs, that included President Ian Khama, and several cabinet ministers at the GICC, the musician dished out truly spectacular stuff, great compositions by legends such as Lewis  Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole, James Brown, much to the delight of his guests.

The heavily built South African performer, would later serenade his guests with more African tunes by the likes of Caphus Semenya, and Miriam Makeba, to name a few. His music career spans over  30 years, and is said to have brushed shoulders with great US actors and musicians like Bill Cosby, Sammy Davis Jr, Redd Foxx and Count Basie, according to a website information.

Some of his legendary performances featured Josh Makhene and Joe Lopez in the successful play Dance Troupe, which travelled to the Far East and received a Royal performance.

Louis Burke and Joan Brickhill transformed the play and called it Kwazulu, which as the first South African production to have performed to multi-racial audiences, toured the country. One website says about the man's remarkable talent; 'When Thapelo launches into a Xhosa lyric or a James Brown wailing soul deep cry, or even a Frank Sinatra ballad, he hits the soul register with his inimitable rendition'.  His show, A Tribute to Nat King Cole was performed at Vergilius Restaurant in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

Despite his big frame, Tshepo is also a  martial artist and third Dan karate holder and has acted in television and local and international movies.

His international credits include Hold my hand, I'm dying with Oliver Reed and Jack Palance, Death on Safari, Red Scorpion, Sandgrass People, Rage to Kill and more, according to the information gathered by Showtime.