Music lovers woke up to sad news indeed on Sunday, 11 September, following the death of local Tshivenda disco king, Nkeleni Alfred Nethengwe, famously known as Ali K in the music industry.
Ali K, who hailed from Tshandama village, near Tshilamba, passed away at the age of 72, following an illness. The smartly dressed singer, with his undeniable charm, came to be loved dearly by disco music fans in the late eighties and early nineties. He was a familiar figure at music events, with a huge following during the erstwhile Radio Venda road shows, where he would mesmerise audiences with his energetic and very entertaining disco vibes.
Ali K had released six successful disco albums over the years, namely Dance, Bomepome, Ravhuruvhu, Zevhezevhe, Vha dzula dzulo and Vha do farwa lini. His music still enjoys airplay on national and regional radio stations, despite the evolution of music genres. At the time of his death, he was working on his seventh album, titled Ni a delela.
Besides being a musician, Ali K was a former water attendant for the government, working at various irrigation schemes around Vhembe, until he retired in 2015.
The family spokesperson, Mr Solly Tshitangano, confirmed Ali K's passing. "We are truly saddened by Alfred's passing. He was one of the few remaining elders and a unifier everyone depended upon for advice. However, we find solace in knowing that he touched many lives during his lifetime. The countless condolences coming from far and near show that he was a celebrated individual and musician whose music will live on forever."
Reggae music legend Shufflers Ragimana was also devastated by the news of Ali K's death. He remembers how Ali K contributed to his own music career. "He ventured into the music industry when things were still difficult but, because of his hard work, he persevered until he became successful. Ali K was one of the first local musicians to own a keyboard and he used to come for rehearsals at Nndweleni Mankhili (his nephew)'s house at Makonde village, where I also live, because during that time, there was no electricity yet at his home village of Tshandama. He taught us how to play the keyboard until we became perfect. Here he had the chance to be on vocals and freely demonstrated his impressive dancing moves. The music industry is now poorer without him, but we will always remember his willingness to assist young musicians, and his contributions towards the development of music in our region," Ragimana said.
A memorial service will be held in Ali K's honour this Friday (16 September) at 14:00, prior to his funeral, which will take place this Saturday (17 September) at 06:00. Both services will be held at his home village of Tshandama.