Mbongeni Ngema Dies: ‘Sarafina!’ Creator & ‘The Lion King’ Vocal Arranger Killed In Car Crash
deadline.comMbongeni Ngema, the South African creator of Whoopi Goldberg film Sarafina!, has died in a car accident. He was aged 68. Ngema’s family announced his death in a statement, revealing that he was killed in a head-on collision while returning from a funeral he had attended in Lusikisiki, South Africa.
He was a passenger in the vehicle. Ngema is best known for creating the musical Sarafina!, which premiered on Broadway in 1988 and was later adapted into a vehicle for Goldberg in 1992.
It told the story of a young student’s fight against racial segregation in apartheid South Africa after her teacher was jailed.
Ngema was a writer, lyricist, composer, director, choreographer, and theatre producer. His other major credits include vocal arranging on The Lion King.
Read more on deadline.com
