South African musician and visual artist Leon Botha, who most famously collaborated with the outlandish Die Antwoord, has died at the age of 26. The artist passed away Sunday (June 5) from complications arising from the rare disease, progeria. He died a day after his birthday.
While the Cape Town artist held art exhibitions in his home country and gigged under the name DJ Solarize, it was his pairing with the zef electro-rappers that gained him his biggest success. First coming to global attention via the troupe's "Enter the Ninja" video, which you can see below, Botha eventually opened up many Die Antwoord shows with a DJ set of his own.
Diagnosed with progeria, a degenerative genetic disorder that rapidly ages the body, at age four, Botha had to undergo heart bypass surgery early in his life to prevent a heart attack due to progeria-related atherosclerosis. At 26, he was one of the world's oldest documented sufferers of the disease.
A tribute to Botha has been posted on his website, where you can also see his painted work. Please check it out.
While the Cape Town artist held art exhibitions in his home country and gigged under the name DJ Solarize, it was his pairing with the zef electro-rappers that gained him his biggest success. First coming to global attention via the troupe's "Enter the Ninja" video, which you can see below, Botha eventually opened up many Die Antwoord shows with a DJ set of his own.
Diagnosed with progeria, a degenerative genetic disorder that rapidly ages the body, at age four, Botha had to undergo heart bypass surgery early in his life to prevent a heart attack due to progeria-related atherosclerosis. At 26, he was one of the world's oldest documented sufferers of the disease.
A tribute to Botha has been posted on his website, where you can also see his painted work. Please check it out.
