Oscar Bonginkosi Mdlongwa, better known as Oskido and sometimes as Oscar Warona is a legendary South African record producer, DJ, Musician and Businessman. He is the co-founder of Kalawa Jazmee Records (formerly Kalawa Records) and has overseen the rise of some of the best South African artists and bands of the last two decades.
Born		Oscar Bonginkosi
Mdlongwa
November 23, 1967
Oukasie, Brits
North West
South Africa
Known AsOskido, Oscar Warona
OccupationMusician, DJ
Businessman
Record Label Executive
Record Producer
GenreHouse, Kwaito
Dance, Afro-Pop
Since1989 – to date
Record LabelKalawa Jazmee
Associated Acts
Alaska, Brother of Peace (B.o.P)
Black Motion, Bongo Maffin, Bruce Sebitlo
Boom Shaka, Character, DJ Fresh
   DJ Zinhle, Don Laka, Mafikizolo,
Magesh, Professor, Spikiri
Thebe, Winnie Khumalo, Zonke
Zane “Mahoota” Sibika
Family
ParentsEmily Sophia Molefi
Esaph Mdlongwa
SiblingsDJ Pepsi (Brother)
Contact Details
AgentUnknown
WebsiteUnknown
Oskido was born Oscar Bonginkosi Mdlongwa, in Oukasie, Brits in the North West Province of South Africa.
He was born to South African mother, Emily Sophia Molefi and Zimbabwean father, Esaph Mdlongwa.
Oskido has a younger brother, DJ Pepsi – whose real name is Nkululeko Mdlongwa, and is also a radio DJ, Musician and record producer.
He was raised in Oukasie, Brits in the North West and moved to Bulawayo in Zimbabwe when he was 2 years old.
Oskido spent his entire childhood and formative years in that country. He also attended primary school there.
While in Zimbabwe he attended Gifford High School, Bulawayo, where he matriculated.
At age 21, he returned to Brits, South Africa to run a family spaza shop.
Oskido later moved to Johannesburg to pursue a dream of becoming a musician.
During his early days in Johannesburg, he worked as an intern at a BMW dealership for six months.
After quitting his job at the dealership, he ended up selling Boerewors Rolls on the streets of Hillbrow in Johannesburg outside Razzmatazz Night Club.
One night after a scheduled DJ failed to show up, Oskido’s first chance presented itself when he volunteered to fill in.
He often credits  the late Ian Sigola for his early success and says his influences are Frankie Knuckles, Steve Silk Hurley and Louie Vega of Masters at Work.
Oskido’s musically curious mind led him to play around with sounds and records.
He reworked them, formulated his own sounds and stored them on cassettes.
Those early efforts would eventually produce compilations like “Mixmaster” and “Big Jam”.
This earned him a reputation outside the Johannesburg club scene and landed him to wider audience and later introduced him to a man who would become a partner in the band Brothers of Peace, Bruce “Dope” Sebitlo.
With the Brother of Peace, Oskido went on to release eight albums in ten years from 1994 to 2004.
Oskido together with Don Laka and Christos Katsaitis founded Kalawa Records – today’s Kalawa Jazmee Records.
The record label’s first act was Boom Shaka (Lebo Mathosa †, Theo Nhlengethwa, Junior Sokhela and Thembi Seete), a group credited for pioneering the Kwaito genre.
As a solo artists Oskido released numerous compilation albums, mostly house and dance, even before the dawn of the Kwaito era.
In 2012 Oskido launched the I Believe project, named after his Metro FM radio show and later released an album titled Oskido I Believe 2013 which was later re-worked and released as Oskido I Believe 2013 Special Edition.

Kwaito Revolution

Oskido is also credited for playing a major role in the Kwaito Revolution of the 1990’s that dominated the South African music industry for well over a decade.
Having overseen the rise of artists and bands like Alaska, Boom Shaka, Mafikizolo, Bongo Maffin, Mafikizolo, Trompies, Thebe and Spikiri, among others.
He continues to produce and promote Kwaito music, his sounds remain among the most influential figures in the genre, especially with the artists like Professor Langa who is signed to his Kalawa Jazmee Records and is perhaps the final frontier of the once dominant movement.
Oskido himself having led the new movement, Afro-House, which continually over shadows that of Kwaito, alongside the likes of DJ Sbu, who, himself was at the forefront of the Kwaito Movement.

Radio

Oskido’s radio career began in 1997 with a then newly founded YFM intended for the youth. He later moved to SABC’s Metro FM where he remains to this day.

The Recent Years

From 2001 to 2010, he released an enduring series of Church Grooves Volume 1 through Volume 10, which played a major role in solidifying the place of  Afro-House in the South African music industry landscape as well as carve out a significant market share.
While from 2001 to 2004, with his band, Brothers of Peace, released a “Project Album Series”, Project A, B, C and D.
In 2012 Oskido released what is arguably his most matured and progressive album of the recent years, Oskido I Believe 2013.
The album was an instant hit and feature songs such as “Tsa Mandebele”, “Woza Nana” and “Phezu Kwayo”.
In that album he enlisted the talents of artists such as; Candy, Magesh, Professor, Coco, Nokwazi and Uhuru.
In May 2013 Oskido I Believe 2013: Special Edition was released with an additional 12th track, some tracks omitted and new tracks added – most notably, the Premier Soccer League‘s (PSL) 2013 MTN 8 theme song – “Wafa Wafa” featuring Professor Langa.
At the 13th Metro FM Music Awards, Oskido was honored with a lifetime achievement for his contribution to South African music.
In 2014 Oskido was announced as one of the judges of The X Factor South Africa which airs on SABC 1 alongside Zonke Dikana, Arno Carstens and Andile Ncube as host.


Discography
YearAlbumLabelNotes
1991Mixmaster Vol. 1Kalawa JazmeeDebut Solo Album
1992Mixmaster Vol. 2Kalawa JazmeeOskido
1993Mixmaster Vol. 2Kalawa JazmeeOskido
1993Big Jam Vol. 1Kalawa JazmeeOskido
1994Brothers of PeaceKalawa JazmeeOskido with Christos & Don Laka
1994Mixmaster Vol. 4Kalawa JazmeeOskido
1995Big Jam Vol. 2Kalawa JazmeeOskido
1995Traffic CopKalawa JazmeeBrothers of Peace
1996King of Kwaito UyagawulaKalawa JazmeeBrothers of Peace
1997Mother PakaKalawa JazmeeOscar Warona
2000SphithiphithiKalawa JazmeeBrothers of Peace
2001Project AKalawa JazmeeBrothers of Peace
2001The First CommandmentKalawa JazmeeOskido
2001Church Grooves 1Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2002Church Grooves 2Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2002Project BKalawa JazmeeBrothers of Peace
2003Church Grooves 3Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2003Project CKalawa JazmeeBrothers of Peace
2004Church Grooves 4Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2004Project DKalawa JazmeeBrothers of Peace
2005Church Grooves 5Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2006Church Grooves 6Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2007Church Grooves 7Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2008Church Grooves 8Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2009Church Grooves 9Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2010Church Grooves 10Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2012I Believe 2013Kalawa JazmeeOskido
2013I Believe 2013: Special EditionKalawa JazmeeOskido


Down the years Oskido has enjoyed numerous accolades and recognition. In 2002 at the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) he was honoured with Kwaito Artist of the decade.
In 2014 at the 13th Metro FM Awards Oskido was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement for his contributions to the South African music and the South African music industry.

Accolades
YearAwardCategoryWorkNotes
2002Metro FM Music AwardBest Group, Best AlbumProject C, B.O.P.Won
2002South African Music AwardKwaito Artist of the DecadeVariousWon
2002YFM AwardKwaito Artist of the DecadeVariousWon
2012SA Dance Music AwardHonorary Awardn/an/a
2012Chanel O Music Video AwardSpecial Recognition Awardn/an/a
201413th Metro FM Music AwardsLifetime Achievementn/an/a
201413th Metro FM Music AwardsBest CollaborationY-TjukutjaWon
20142014 MTV Africa Music AwardsBest CollaborationY-TjukutjaWon