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CHAKA
CHAKA'S NIECE DIES IN HOTEL ROOM
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The voice of one of South Africa's greatest R&B divas has fallen silent. The body of Tsakini "TK" Mhinga, 27, was found on in a hotel room at the City Lodge in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
Captain Schalk Bornman said staff at the hotel found Mhinga about 13:30 after she did not answer knocking at her door or phone calls to her room.
"There was no sign of a struggle or that anyone had broken into the room. Nothing is missing," he said.
The cause of Mhinga's death is not known and a post-mortem will be done this week. |
In 2004, she received a Sama award for her third album, Black Butterfly.
Hotel staff called a doctor at a private clinic nearby who certified Mhinga was dead.
Sapa reports that apparently a letter was found near Mhinga's hotel room, but the contents are not yet known.
Kwaito star Mandoza's manager, Vaughn Eton, confirmed that Mandoza had been with "TK" at the hotel on Sunday.
"When I phoned Mandoza on Sunday, they were talking in the hotel foyer. She complained about her boyfriend, but she sounded well," Eton told Sapa.
Daily Sun learned that Mhinga apparently was seen with other well-known people at a party on Sunday night. Chris Ghelakis of Electromode Music said Mhinga's relationship with her boyfriend had broken down and she was looking for a new flat while staying at the hotel.
"It's a great shock to all of us. For the past few weeks, we've been recording songs for her new album."I last spoke to her on Friday when she didn't come to the studio as planned," he said on
Monday. He said she had been the best young R&B singer in the country and was extremely talent.
"TK" has a three-year-old son, Oratile. Her debut album, TKO, was released in 2000, and Eject Yo' Ass in 2001.
She had won three South African Music Awards for Best R&B album for both her releases in 2001 and 2002. She also was nominated for two MTN Metro FM 2000 Music Awards (best R&B artist and best female artist).
She performed with Foxy Brown at the Gauteng R&B Hip-Hop Festival in 2002 and has worked with and collaborated with many other artists, including Kay FM's Ed Jordan.
Mhinga leaves her young son, Oratile, 3, and her parents, Chief Shilungwa and Tebogo Mhinga of the baTsonga clan in Limpopo.
TK's first studio foray was after matric when she recorded the first version of Secret Confession. Singer Loyiso Bala praised "TK" for her music that had no racial boundaries. "We always wanted to crack it in the American music industry. We knew that if we could not do it, she could," said Bala.
"TK" was the niece of veteran singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka, who said: "She was so talented. This is indeed a shock for the family. "We don't know what happened. We are waiting for the police to tell us." Electromode said her death was a great loss to the music industry. Electromode general manager Eddie Jenner said: "The details of her death are not yet known to us. The police will give us results tomorrow afternoon. "However, the family has asked to be left alone to mourn."
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