Sello (Chicco) Twala was born on 01 January 1963 in Soweto, Johannesburg (South Africa) and is a famous South African musician and music producer. In the 1970s he played in soul bands including Umoja, Sipho ’Hotstix’ Mabuse’s Harari, and formed his own band, Image. He was well known in the 1980’s for his African pop and disco music as Chicco.

Twala’s first triple platinum release in 1987 was a record that included the song ’We Miss You Manelo’, a reference to Nelson Mandela who was still a prisoner on Robben Island at the time. The song Too Late for Mama, produced by Twala and sung by Brenda Fassie, also achieved platinum status.



His soul ballad ’Peace Song’, was recorded by a South African cast in 1992, just before the nation’s first democratic election. Some of his songs feature in Walt Disney’s Lion King II. He collaborated with poet Mzwakhe Mbuli on the 1990 hit song ’Papa Stop The War’. He also wrote songs for and produced the album Memeza, for a come-back by the late Brenda Fassie.

He has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement South African Music Award. and a Metro FM Music Award.