With over 40 albums to his credit,
singer songwriter Steve Kekana has been a consistent force in the
South African music scene since the early 1980’s.
Born in 1958 in Zebediela in South
Africa’s Limpopo Province, he lost his sight at age five, and
attended a school for the blind in Pietersburg. During his school
years, he nurtured his love for singing, and was a member of amateur
groups whilst a teenager.
In 1979 and 1980, Kekana won what was
then known as the “SABC Black Music Award" for Best Male
Vocalist. Further awards followed, with the singer taking the “Top
Male Vocalist" award on Radio Zulu, and being the runner-up on
the Tswana and Sotho Radio Stations.
Kekana and his music have been featured
in movies. He has collaborated with several artists over the years.
He has alsoy collaborated frequently
with fellow vocalist and now late Nana Coyote, and his links with a
younger generation have been solidified through his association with
the singer / producer Joe Nina, who produced his most recent album
“African Lady" Kekana, Coyote and Nina regularly appear on
stage together, and have recorded under the name “The Trio"
Kekana holds B Juris and LLB degrees
from UNISA, and has written on Intellectual Property from the
perspective of a songwriter.
During his school years at Siloe School
for the Blind, he learnt how to play guitar and nurtured his love for
singing. He was then recruited to join the school band and also
became a member of amateur music groups. After completing high school
he could not secure a scholarship to study law. So he was forced to
sing in order to fend for himself.
In 1978, he recorded his first album,
Mumsy, which achieved gold status within two weeks. With 43 albums to
his name, the singer and songwriter has since then been a consistent
force in the South African music scene. Having achieved international
acclaim with his music, he is now a Unisa lecturer in Mercantile Law
while simultaneously working on his 44th album.
Kekana's Raising My Family was a big
hit in Europe in 1980.
His songs "The Bushman" and
"Feel So Strong" (featuring Hotline) were hits on the
Springbok Radio Chart (the semi-official South African chart of the
time) reaching number 13 and number 6 in 1982 and 1983 respectively.
Quoted in the UNISA website, “I
always had a desire to become a lawyer. I got my inspiration from
Advocate Bokankatla Malatji, who is also blind and attended the same
school as me. In 1972, he registered as the first black blind law
student at Turfloop University, but because my family was poor, I
could not register to study at university immediately after
matriculating.”
His dream was achieved in 1994. “I
could only register in 1994, where I paid for my tuition in the first
year with the money I saved. For the subsequent four years, I was
sponsored by the Department of Labour.”
ACHIEVEMENTS:
• 1978-date: Produced 44 albums and
received more than 70 Golden Disc Awards.
• 1980: The Best Male Vocalist Award
(Radio Zulu).
• 1984: The Four Outstanding Young
South African (FOYSA) Award.
• 1985: The Ten Outstanding Young
People of the World (TOYP) Award
• 1986: The OKTV award
• 2010: Mama Bheka Community Awards.
For more information you can visit: www.stevekekana.co.za