Thandi Klaasen

Thandi Klaasen (born 1931)[1] is a jazz musician from Sophiatown, Gauteng. She is the mother of singer Lorraine Klaasen.

Biography

Thandi Klaasen, née Mpambane, grew up in Sophiatown.[1] When she was a teenager, her face was permanently scarred by a mix of thinners and petroleum. Her career as a singer and dancer began in the mid-1950s.[2] In 1961, she moved to London to work in the musical King Kong.[3] She has since performed with Dolly Rathebe, Miriam Makeba, Dorothy Masuka, and others.

Awards

Klaasen has been awarded South Africa's Order of the Baobab in Gold (2006) for "excellent achievement in and contribution to the art of Music".[1] In August 2013, as part of the Women's Month celebrations, Klaasen and four other icons of South African jazz - Abigail Kubheka, Dorothy Masuka, Sathima Bea Benjamin and Sylvia Mdunyelwa - were honoured by Standard Bank with lifetime achievement awards.[4] Other awards she has received include the Woman of Distinction Award received in Canada (1999),[5] and a lifetime achievement award at the 2006 South African Music Awards.[6]

References

External links

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