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Musique
Théâtre
Cinéma/TV
© DR
Leleti Khumalo
Chanteur/euse, Danseur/se, Acteur/trice
Afrique du Sud

Français
Leleti Khumalo est chanteuse et actrice sud-africaine.
Née le 30 Mars 1970 à KwaMashu, Afrique du Sud.
Elle joue le rôle principal (Sarafina) dans la comédie musicale SARAFINA! qui donne lieu au documentaire VOICES OF SARAFINA! (1988) réalisé par le cinéaste américain Nigel Noble. Ce film documentaire a été sélectionné à Cannes 1989 (Un Certain Regard). C’est surtout la fiction SARAFINA! réalisé par Darrell James Roodt (Afrique du Sud, 1992), avec Whoopi Goldberg et Myriam Makeba, film qui contribuera à faire connaitre mondialement son talent.
Née le 30 Mars 1970 à KwaMashu, Afrique du Sud.
Elle joue le rôle principal (Sarafina) dans la comédie musicale SARAFINA! qui donne lieu au documentaire VOICES OF SARAFINA! (1988) réalisé par le cinéaste américain Nigel Noble. Ce film documentaire a été sélectionné à Cannes 1989 (Un Certain Regard). C’est surtout la fiction SARAFINA! réalisé par Darrell James Roodt (Afrique du Sud, 1992), avec Whoopi Goldberg et Myriam Makeba, film qui contribuera à faire connaitre mondialement son talent.
English
South African actress and singer.
Born: March 30, 1970 in KwaMashu, South Africa.
She was nominated for Broadway’s 1988 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role – Musical) for « Sarafina, » in a role she recreated in the film version of the same title, Sarafina!.
Leleti was born in 1970 at Kwa Mashu Township in the North of Durban. Growing up in the poverty of township life, she was initiated into a youth backyard dance group called Amajika mentored by Tu Nokwe.
In 1985, she auditioned for Mbongeni Ngema’s upcoming new musical, which was to became the international blockbuster « Sarafina! » Ngema wrote the lead character of Sarafina for her.
Leleti enchanted audiences in South Africa and on Broadway, where she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress. « Sarafina! » stayed for two years on Broadway before embarking on a worldwide tour. In 1987 she received an NAACP Image Award for Best Stage Actress.
In 1991, together with Whoopi Goldberg, Khumalo starred in Darrell James Roodt’s film version of « Sarafina! » which was distributed worldwide, and became the biggest film production to be released in the African continent. Again she was nominated for the film Image Award together with Angela Bassett, Whoopi Goldberg and Janet Jackson.
In 1993, Khumalo released her first album, « Leleti and the Sarafina, » and co-starred in Ngema’s international hit musical « Magic at 4 AM » which was dedicated to the legend of Muhammed Ali. She then starred in Ngema’s musical « Mama » (1996), which toured Europe and Australia. In 1997, she also starred in Ngema’s « Sarafina 2. »
Khumalo moved into dramatic acting when she starred in the play « Koze Kuse, » written by Selo Make Kancube. She then played a role in Darrell James Roodt’s film « Cry, the Beloved Country » (1995) of Alan Paton’s novel, produced by Anant Singh and starring Richard Harris and James Earl Jones. She was also featured on the TV series « The African Skies, » and appeared in a number of TV commercials.
Leleti next had another success on stage with « The Zulu » (1999) written and directed by Mbongeni Ngema, about King Cetshwayo and the Battle of Isandlwane in the Anglo Zulu War. In 2000 she was awarded an acting diploma by the Mbongeni Ngema Academy of Performance Excellence. Khumalo next starred in the 2003 musical extravaganza « Stimela Sase Zola » at the African Bank Market Theatre in Johannesburg in 2003.
She starred in the Zulu language feature film, « Yesterday » which received an Academy Award Nomination in the Best Foreign Language Category in 2005, and she was also featured in the « Hotel Rwanda, » with Don Cheadle and Nick Nolte. « Faith’s Corner » saw her work once again with the team that made « Yesterday » – director Darrell James Roodt and producer, Anant Singh. She currently stars in the popular South African television series, ?Generations’.
Born: March 30, 1970 in KwaMashu, South Africa.
She was nominated for Broadway’s 1988 Tony Award as Best Actress (Featured Role – Musical) for « Sarafina, » in a role she recreated in the film version of the same title, Sarafina!.
Leleti was born in 1970 at Kwa Mashu Township in the North of Durban. Growing up in the poverty of township life, she was initiated into a youth backyard dance group called Amajika mentored by Tu Nokwe.
In 1985, she auditioned for Mbongeni Ngema’s upcoming new musical, which was to became the international blockbuster « Sarafina! » Ngema wrote the lead character of Sarafina for her.
Leleti enchanted audiences in South Africa and on Broadway, where she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress. « Sarafina! » stayed for two years on Broadway before embarking on a worldwide tour. In 1987 she received an NAACP Image Award for Best Stage Actress.
In 1991, together with Whoopi Goldberg, Khumalo starred in Darrell James Roodt’s film version of « Sarafina! » which was distributed worldwide, and became the biggest film production to be released in the African continent. Again she was nominated for the film Image Award together with Angela Bassett, Whoopi Goldberg and Janet Jackson.
In 1993, Khumalo released her first album, « Leleti and the Sarafina, » and co-starred in Ngema’s international hit musical « Magic at 4 AM » which was dedicated to the legend of Muhammed Ali. She then starred in Ngema’s musical « Mama » (1996), which toured Europe and Australia. In 1997, she also starred in Ngema’s « Sarafina 2. »
Khumalo moved into dramatic acting when she starred in the play « Koze Kuse, » written by Selo Make Kancube. She then played a role in Darrell James Roodt’s film « Cry, the Beloved Country » (1995) of Alan Paton’s novel, produced by Anant Singh and starring Richard Harris and James Earl Jones. She was also featured on the TV series « The African Skies, » and appeared in a number of TV commercials.
Leleti next had another success on stage with « The Zulu » (1999) written and directed by Mbongeni Ngema, about King Cetshwayo and the Battle of Isandlwane in the Anglo Zulu War. In 2000 she was awarded an acting diploma by the Mbongeni Ngema Academy of Performance Excellence. Khumalo next starred in the 2003 musical extravaganza « Stimela Sase Zola » at the African Bank Market Theatre in Johannesburg in 2003.
She starred in the Zulu language feature film, « Yesterday » which received an Academy Award Nomination in the Best Foreign Language Category in 2005, and she was also featured in the « Hotel Rwanda, » with Don Cheadle and Nick Nolte. « Faith’s Corner » saw her work once again with the team that made « Yesterday » – director Darrell James Roodt and producer, Anant Singh. She currently stars in the popular South African television series, ?Generations’.
Films(s)
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Africa UnitedLong-métrage – 2010Trois jeunes Rwandais fans de football font la route à pied pour assister « Africa United » raconte l’histoire extraordinaire de trois enfants rwandais qui tentent de réaliser le rêve de leur vie – assister à la cérémonie …Leleti Khumalo est lié(e) à ce film en tant que acteur/trice
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HopevilleLong-métrage – 2010Amos, alcoolique en rémission, obtient la garde de son fils Themba, lequel vient juste de perdre sa mère, à la condition de permettre à l’enfant de poursuivre sa carrière de nageur. Ils s’installent tous deux à Hopeville…Leleti Khumalo est lié(e) à ce film en tant que acteur/trice
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Invictus– 2009En 1994, l’élection de Nelson Mandela consacre la fin de l’Apartheid, mais l’Afrique du Sud reste une nation profondément divisée sur le plan racial et économique. Pour unifier le pays et donner à chaque citoyen un motif…Leleti Khumalo est lié(e) à ce film en tant que acteur/trice
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Faith’s CornerLong-métrage – 2005Faith, une jeune mère de famille sans domicile fixe, vit dans la rue à Johannesburg, avec ses deux enfants en bas âge. Les maigres revenus de la mendicité ne lui permettent pas toujours de nourrir les siens, et les passa…Leleti Khumalo est lié(e) à ce film en tant que acteur/trice
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Hotel RwandaLong-métrage – 2004L’histoire vraie, pendant le génocide rwandais, de Paul Rusesabagina, un hôtelier responsable du sauvetage de milliers de Rwandais. Avec Don Cheadle, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Nolte ACTEURS Don Cheadle (Paul Rusebag…Leleti Khumalo est lié(e) à ce film en tant que acteur/trice
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YesterdayLong-métrage – 2004Le combat d’une mère africaine luttant pour assurer un avenir digne à sa fille. D’une grande beauté plastique. Dans un petit village du Zululand-Natal en Afrique du Sud, Yesterday doit gérer seule les difficultés d’un q…Leleti Khumalo est lié(e) à ce film en tant que acteur/trice
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Pleure, ô pays bien aimé (Cry, the Beloved Country) [réal : Darrell James Roodt]Long-métrage – 19951946. Stephen Kumalo est pasteur dans une region montagneuse et pauvre du Natal. Le proprietaire de ces terres est un Blanc, James Jarvis, qui profite des pouvoirs que l’apartheid lui garantit. De tragiques evenements va…Leleti Khumalo est lié(e) à ce film en tant que acteur/trice
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Sarafina !Long-métrage – 1992Partant de l’oppression sous l’Afrique du Sud de l’apartheid, c’est l’histoire de Sarafina (Leleti Khumalo) à qui son enseignante (Whoopi Goldberg) montre comment échapper à la bigoterie par le biais de la musique. A tr…Leleti Khumalo est lié(e) à ce film en tant que acteur/trice
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Voices of Sarafina!Long-métrage – 1988Documentaire sur la comédie musicale « Sarafina! ». Pays : ETATS-UNIS avec Leleti Khumalo (Sarafina), Baby Cele (Maîtresse Itsapity), Pat Mlaba (Colgate) Miriam Makeba (dans son propre rôle) Réalisateur : Nige…Leleti Khumalo est lié(e) à ce film en tant que acteur/trice
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