Zakes Bantwini Bio ( know your Celebs )

Zakhele Madida (born 26 April 1981), better known by his stage name Zakes Bantwini, is a South African record producer and musician. He grew up in KwaMashu, a township in Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.


He was raised in KwaMashu where he initially lived in a two-roomed house with thirteen other people. Zakes Bantwini went to Shayamoya Junior Primary School in KwaMashu. He later attended Nqabakazulu High School. He later obtained a National Certificate in Light Music at Durban University of Technology. Zakes Bantwini studied Jazz and Music performance at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. He also studied a Social Entrepreneurship Programme at Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria.^[Zakes Bantwini has worked closely with fellow local musician Black Coffee, with whom he collaborated on the hit song Juju.

In 2009, Zakes Bantwini was featured in Black Coffee‘s album titled Home Brewed in a hit song Juju. The song was nominated in the Record of the Year category at the 16th Annual South African Music Awards.^[4]

In 2010, Zakes Bantwini released his debut studio album titled Love, Light and Music.It featured hit songs such as Bum Bum, Clap Your Hands and Wasting My Time.

Zakes Bantwini has earned four nominations for Best Urban Dance Album, Record of the year for Bum Bum, Album of the year and Male Artist of the year. On June 16, 2012 Zakes Bantwini recorded his live DVD Upfront with Zakes Bantwini at the Soweto Theatre, in Jabulani, Soweto, Johannesburg in Gauteng.