Sello "Chicco" Twala cut his teeth in 1970s Soweto soul bands before becoming one of bubblegum pop's defining producer-performers, writing and producing hits for himself and for stars including Brenda Fassie and Yvonne Chaka Chaka. His 1987 single "We Miss You Manelow" used a coded lyric to smuggle a message of support for the still-imprisoned Nelson Mandela past apartheid-era censors, and his synth-driven productions helped lay groundwork later township genres, including kwaito, built on.

the sound in question

1987

We Miss You ManelowChicco Twala