Legendary soul singer Babsy Mlangeni turned 82 yesterday. The legendary singer celebrated his big day at Diepkloof Hall, a stone's throw away from Orlando East, where he was born. The Siphiwe Msimango Foundation threw him a bash to remember, which was attended by fellow artists and members of the community.

FAMILY AFFAIR

His peers, who are in their 70s and 80s, were taken down memory lane when he sang his classic tune Sala Emma. Mlangeni, who has been a household name in the 70s, 80s and today, sang another of his hit songs, Ho Monate Mo. He was joined by one of his granddaughters, who backed him and danced to the tune. He told the partygoers that he was the first blind musician to record a professional album. "I lived and performed with blind artists like Steve Kekana, Lazarus Kgakgudi, Kori Moraba, Peter Mokoena and Vusi Shange, some of them died during the time of Covid-19. "I don't know how I dodged Covid-19. Today I'm still alive, 58 years after I started singing," he said to a round of applause. Mlangeni was accompanied by some of his children and 18 grandchildren at the birthday party.

BEEN BLIND SINCE THREE YEARS OLD

He said he turned blind at the age of three and had to endure being taunted by other children when he turned seven years old. "I got a better life when my parents took me to Athlone School for the Blind in Cape Town. That is where I got people who were exactly like me. That's where I found love," he joked. Mlangeni's children are running his Babsy Mlangeni Foundation and also manage his music career. He said in March he is going to release his latest single. Respected choreographer Nomsa Manaka, who hails from Diepkloof, told the audience that she was happy that Msimango was honouring Mlangeni when he was still alive. "We thank you, Baba Msimango because you don't want to wait for Baba Babsy Mlangeni to leave this earth and have a big funeral where people push each other to be on the programme," said Manaka.