The late Todd Tozama Matshikiza was a South African jazz pianist, composer, and journalist. As a journalist, Matshikiza was a contributor to the innovatory South African magazine Drum and is known for his autobiographical short stories.
In 1958, Matshikiza composed the music and some of the lyrics of the jazz musical King Kong, which had an all-black cast. Portraying the life and times of heavyweight boxer Ezekiel Dlamini, popularly known as “King Kong”, the musical was a hit in 1959. It attracted multi-racial audiences and was performed in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Port Elizabeth, before being staged at the Prince’s Theatre in London’s West End in 1961.
Todd Matshikiza’s cause of death: What happened to Todd Matshikiza?
Todd Matshikiza died in Lusaka in 1968 at the age of 47 and there was no cause of death recorded. His funeral was attended by numerous dignitaries, including the ANC’s Oliver Tambo, and a Zambian ministerial delegation.
Source: Ghanafuo.com
