KWAITO star Brown Dash (real name Siphiwe Mpamile) died in Johannesburg’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital yesterday.
The Puff n’ Pass singer had been unwell for several years, the New Zimbabwe website said last night. He spent three weeks in hospital last year after being diagnosed with pneumonia and had liquids drained from his lungs.
After rumours of his death swept through social networks in the afternoon, several of the singer’s friends confirmed he had died.
Kwaito kingpin Mandoza said on his Facebook: “Rest in Peace Brown Dash!”
Metro FM DJ Oscar Mdlongwa also replied “It’s true”, when asked to confirm Mpamile’s death.
Eazy, of hip hop group Teargas, said: “Yes, it’s true that he [Brown Dash] has passed away.”
Brown Dash, who died aged 33, got his nickname from his love for brown car dashboards. He became famous in 2002 after singing alongside the masked Mzekezeke.
He had earlier featured in Mapaputsi’s smash hit Izinja.
In 2003, he worked with producer DJ Cleo on his first single Puff ‘n Pass, which was followed shortly by his debut album Umthandazo Wabolova.
The album won him the Best Kwaito award at the 2005 Sama Awards.
New Zimbabwe said his third album Dashboard bombed in 2007 and Brown Dash left TS Records in an acrimonious split. His last studio album Back2Kasi also failed to match the success of his earlier work.
City Press reported that Brown Dash died eight years to the day that music icon Brenda Fassie died. The paper’s website said Brown Dash recently performed at the South African Music Awards, cutting a frail yet exuberant figure as he sang and danced.
It said news of his death broke when kwaito artist Bricks tweeted “RIP. Brown Dash. Soholala sikuthanda. (We’ll always love you).”
— Witness Reporter.
