Ali Mgube and Celazimnike Mtshali End 16-Year Feud, Revive AmaSAP

Legendary South African maskandi artists Ali Mgube and Celazimnike Mtshali have officially ended their 16-year feud and are reviving their popular duo, AmaSAP. Fans of the group can expect a new album after a 17-year hiatus.

AmaSAP originally performed together from 2001 to 2008, with Ali as lead vocalist and Celazimnike on lead guitar and backing vocals. When Celazimnike left, Ali continued using the AmaSAP name, and tensions grew, resulting in public musical battles between the two. Both artists pursued solo careers, but AmaSAP’s distinctive sound faded over time, prompting fans to call for a reunion.

Ali Mgube, 52, told Daily Sun that he is thrilled to be working with Celazimnike again. He believes their reunion will restore the original AmaSAP sound.

“To be honest, we can have the original sound of AmaSAP if we work together with Celazimnike. Music lovers have been asking us to work together for a long time, and I was always available, but the problem was on Celazimnike’s side,” Ali said. “Celazimnike is the one who left me, and I’m happy that he’s back to answer the music lovers’ request to work together again. I wish we could work together without any fight, but I can’t guarantee that because when we founded AmaSAP, I never thought we would part our ways, but it just happened.”

He added that the new album, which brings back their signature sound, will be released in the coming weeks ahead of the festive season.

Celazimnike, also 52, reflected on the reasons behind their split. He said outside interference played a major role in their separation but emphasized that they have learned from past mistakes.

“Some of the reasons we stopped working together were that there were many interferences by other people in our duo, and we ended up fighting and taking different paths. As we ironed out our differences, I ensured that what happened would not happen again. It was good working with Ali again and bringing our original sound back. The album is complete and we’re finalising the release of it,” Celazimnike said.

The reunion of Ali Mgube and Celazimnike Mtshali marks a significant moment for maskandi music. Fans can look forward to the revival of AmaSAP’s signature style and a new album that promises to recapture the duo’s unique sound.