Jazz legend Gloria Bosman died on Tuesday after a short illness. She was 50.
Gloria Bosman dies: What’s the cause of death?
While a statement has yet to come from her family, fellow jazz artist Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse all but confirmed the tragic news in a tweet.
“So sad, gutted. Rest In Peace my dear friend [Gloria Bosman] , thank you for sharing the stage and sharing your gift with us all , am shattered – Love and respect Sipho and the hotband,” he tweeted.
Details on Gloria Bosman’s cause of death remain unclear at this time. However, as reported b Sunday World, the Slowly songstress may have died after battling a short illness.
Bosman’s final social media activity showed her in high spirits following a successful performance at a fundraiser event held at the Guild Theatre in East London, Eastern Cape, on Monday evening.
This is a developing story.
Gloria Bosman biography
Gloria Bosman was an iconic jazz musician, born in Soweto, Johannesburg, in the early 1970s. While no actual record of her date of birth exists online, it is largely speculated that Bosman was 50 years old when she died.
Blessed with a powerful voice, Bosman’s natural progression toward music was inevitable. She was born in Mofolo and raised in Pimville in the 1970s, a turbulent era in South Africa’s apartheid history.
Bosman’s career in music started in the church choir, early in her childhood. Her passion for music saw her earn an opera scholarship at Pretoria Technikon (now operating as Tshwane University of Technology) after she impressed judges at a Market Theatre production in 1993.
That grand opportunity opened up a new world for the songstress, who toured the world as a support act to South African heavyweights such as Oliver Mtukudzi and Hugh Masekela.
Her exposure to all facets of South Africa made it easy for the songstress to develop a unique approach to her discography. She’s released songs targeted toward Afrikaans audiences, and in the same breath, shared stages with African Soul greats such as Sibongile Khumalo, Moses Molelekwa, Tananas and Sipho Mabuse to name a few.
Bosman’s debut album, Tranquility, released in 1999 and earned her instant industry recognition when she won Best Newcomer at the 2001 South African Music Awards (SAMA).
Her self-produced sophomore project, The Many Faces of Gloria Bosman, dropped a year later and earned her nominations for both Best Southern African Artist, Most Promising Female Artist at the 2001 KORA Awards, as well as a SAMA nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album.
Other albums listed under Gloria Bosman’s discography include:
- Stop and Think (2002)
- Nature Dances (2003/4)
- Emzini (2006)
- Letters from the Heart vol.1 (2010)
Shortly before her death, Bosman was elected as a board member of the South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO).
She passed away on Tuesday, 14 March 2023 following a battle with a short illness.
Reactions to Bosman’s death
South Africa’s entertainment industry is reeling from another loss, only days after Costa Titch died while performing on stage at Ultra Music Festival in Johannesburg.
Fans of Bosman came out in droves to pay tribute to the iconic jazz songstress’ stellar career. Here are a few reactions we picked out: