death_date birth_place background birth_date article_title name occupation
8 october 1998 nelspruit , south africa non_vocal_instrumentalist 1940 west nkosi
 west nkosi saxophonist songwriter producer
west nkosi

west nkosi -lrb- born johannes hlongwane , 1940 - 8 october 1998 -rrb- 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 .
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 -lrb- he managed the group until their international discovery in 1987 -rrb- .
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 .
