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Early Life
Lindelani Mkhize is a South African music producer and entrepreneur who was born and bred in Kwazulu Natal KZN),Durban. He is better known for his work with jazz, afro-pop,kwaito and gospel musicians, in particular the SAMA-winning gospel group Joyous Celebration.He is the the Co-founder, creative director and on-stage conductor of the magnificent gospel group Joyous Celebration.Mkhize's passion for gospel music, and all things church-based, started early in life. Mkhize tells a story of accompanying his staunchly Christian mother to church choir practice and beating out the choir’s melodies on the pews.“After a while of going with my mother to her choir practices, some members noticed me and decided I had a musicality in me and that the choir should give me a spot, so they did.” Growing up in the choir, Mkhize knew that music was what he wanted to do with his life, but his family was not supportive of him pursuing it as a viable career option.

Education
Lindelani Mkhize, upon completion of his high school education(Matric),he enrolled in a national diploma in Chemical Engineering at the Natal Technikon,he later changed his course of study to Diploma in Preforming Arts(music).He studied music and attained what was then referred to as Diploma in Preforming Arts (music).This qualification led him to understand the intricacies of music and also broadened his music perspective to other genres, other than gospel.

Career

 * Lindelani Mkhize being a young music graduate, he practiced as a music and maths teacher, before establishing himself as an entrepreneur in the entertainment space.He got very involved in the local township music scene, and he ended up organizing music groups and putting musical acts together, his efforts within the township music scene introduced him to Chicco Twala, producer at Enter Famed Music.Lindelani quit teaching and worked with Chicco for three consecutive years to set up his own record label, while at Enter Famed Music Mkhize was spotted and poached by the record company PolyGram, from under Twala's wing.


 * Lindelani did everything from marketing, talent scouting, producing to sales and promotions. This is when the Kwaito music genre started really emerging, and he discovered and worked with the biggest names in that genre. Acts such as Oskido, M’du Masilela and Joe Nina were all under his leadership, and together they created this youth music culture that literally swept the country off its feet.Lindelani at the age of 25 got headhunted by Sony Music International to establish a South African chapter which he did with much success, before branching out to form his own entity.


 * The reason that Kwaito had raised PolyGram’s market share considerably, Sony International started engaging Mkhize in talks to start the entertainment giant’s domestic operations,


 * In the mid-1990s that Lindelani joined Sony as a general manager, with the purpose of heading up a brand new South African division.At that point, Jazz music had been written off as an extremely niche market with slim to no chance of ever selling record-worthy numbers. Mkhize came in to considerably change this.

artists sold in excess of 300,000 copies each, with Masekela’s first album, after having returned from exile, going platinum six times a feat that had never been heard of in these parts before.
 * Lindelani took it upon himself to start what he called the ‘Jazz Revival’. He signed Sibongile Khumalo and Hugh Masekela. And both these


 * AfroPop was next on Mkhize’s sights. Here, he was to discover crack bands such as Mafikizolo, Bongo Maffin and Malaika—music groups that were to also surpass the 300,000 sales mark—to usher in another youth cultural movement. Soon Mkhize felt that he had achieved all he had hoped to, and the need to return to his gospel roots nagged him.Sony had grown from 0 to about 23% of the local music market share at this point in time."The idea to create Joyous Celebration came to me after the first South African democratic election in 1994. I felt like we needed a music entity that was going to celebrate all the good and positive things we were going through as a country. I also wanted to create a musical entity that would help train and nurture young gospel artists while making gospel music contemporary,” says Mkhize.Lindelani now focused his energy into growing Joyous Celebration, as well starting his Lindelani Mkhize Entertainment (LME) company, which specializes in using music as a marketing tool for big brands and corporates. Lindelani through LME has also hosted large-scale events such as the Durban Jazz Festival, as well as the SABC’s South African Traditional Music Awards (SATMA).He has been making an impact in the local gospel music industry for more than 10 years, mostly through Joyous Celebration,South Africa’s multi award-winning and record-setting Gospel Ensemble.The award winning MTN Joyous Celebration is arguably the country’s most successful gospel ensemble, having released 20 albums and sold more than 4 million CD and DVD copies.

the hospitality sector as well, having acquired a stake in a restaurant Rhapsody Bryanston; the engineering sector having started a corrosion protection company from scratch; and the tourism sector having conceptualized various tourism products, such as the Woodstock Waterlands in Drakensberg.
 * Mkhize, as an entrepreneur has not limited his ventures to the entertainment industry, but has dipped his hands in

Career Early 2010s

 * Once again, a top record company wanted to lure Mkhize into discussions.This time it was 2010 and PolyGram, now trading as Universal Music Group, wanted him to join their team as group executive director in charge of artists and repertoire (A&R).
 * Mkhize released the 14th year Album of Joyous Celebration in 2010
 * Mkhize successfully organises and runs 2010 MTN Durban Jazz Festival.The festival was in its eighth year since its inception.

Endorsements

 * Business Strategy - endorsements for Business Strategy -Endorsed by Sydney Shamase, who is highly skilled at this
 * Strategic Planning - endorsements for Strategic Planning - Endorsed by Mzwandile Matthews Head: Monitoring & Evaluation Oversight Unit, DBE
 * Marketing Strategy - endorsements for Marketing Strategy - Endorsed by Sbu Vesi Managing Director at Mhlabawakithi (PTY) Ltd

Television

 * Lindelani is a judge on the SABC television talent search series I Want To Sing Gospel, since 2008.
 * In 2012 he was announced as one of the three judges for the Mzansi Magic reality competition Clash of the Choirs South Africa, which aired in 2013.
 * Mkhize also took part on IdolsSA as a consultant.

Awards

 * Mkhize has three lifetime achievement awards nods from every notable awards body in the South African music and entertainment industry, at the age of 46, Mkhize’s hunger for the next big win, and passion for music, has cemented him as a music pioneer


 * Durban-born Lindelani Mkhize’s continued promotion and advancement of African gospel has been saluted internationally– he has won the Best Contribution to African Gospel Music Award at the second Africa Gospel Music and Media Awards, held recently at London’s Lighthouse Hall in 2011.