Renowned South African creator Mbongeni Ngema best known as The Lion King's vocal arranger dies in a car crash.

Best known for the iconic Whoopi Goldberg film Sarafina!, Ngema tragically lost his life at the age of 68. Deadline reports that the artist succumbed to a fatal car accident. The Ngema family confirmed the devastating news, revealing that the accident occurred in a head-on collision. While he was returning from a funeral in Lusikisiki, South Africa. Ngema was a passenger in the vehicle.

Besides Mbongeni Ngema's contribution in The Lion King, he also gained international acclaim as the mastermind behind the Broadway musical Sarafina!. It premiered in 1988 and later became a film featuring Whoopi Goldberg in 1992. The powerful narrative depicted a young student's courageous struggle against racial segregation in apartheid-era South Africa following her teacher's imprisonment.

A multifaceted artist, Ngema was a prolific writer, lyricist, composer, director, choreographer, and theatre producer. His contributions extended beyond Sarafina! to include vocal arranging for The Lion King.

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Anant Singh, the producer of Sarafina!, expressed profound sorrow, acknowledging Ngema's role in raising global awareness of apartheid through theatre.

Singh emphasized Ngema's enduring impact on South African theatre and the creative industries, citing the timeless legacy of his musical project as a testament to his influential career.

Mbongeni Ngema's mentorship also left an indelible mark on numerous emerging artists, ensuring that his rich legacy would endure for generations to come. The Cannes Film Festival, where Sarafina! premiered, paid homage to the classic this year as part of its Cannes Classics strand.