Fashioning Modern Africanism

Mozambican hit group Yaba Buluku Boyz and Nigerian rapper Falz are out with a sunny visual for their recently released cracker of a party sound, “Madam De Madam.” Directed by The Alien, the video follows DJ Tarico, Nelson Tivane, Preck, and the Bahd Guy at the premises of a funky auto shop, where they shut down the venue Amapiano style. Whenever the Yaba Buluku Boyz drop a song, you already know what to expect next: a breathtaking video! And their latest collaboration lives up to this standard, if not exceeds it. The contemporary visual is a delight to behold from the get-go; there is no looking away once your eyes fix on its colorful setting. The Alien's dramatic shots instantly engross, with each scene reverberating the upbeat tempo of DJ Tarico's superb production.  WATCH YABA BULUKU BOYZ FT FALZ - MADAM DE MADAM VIDEO There's some stunning choreography on display as well to keep things kinetic. But what steals the show is the finesse with which the humorous plot unf

Hey neighbours, Buckle up, The trailblazing team at Glen21 Entertainment, South Africa's leading event maestros, are beyond excited to bring you the first-of-its-kind three-day music and lifestyle festival, HEY NEIGHBOUR.  Howdy! Howzit! Hola! Hafa! Aweh! Hello there, Neighbour! Created, curated and sprung from South African soil, this event is destined to make waves in the African entertainment scene, come this December 2023 in Pretoria. HEY NEIGHBOUR is not just another festival. It's a global gathering, a vibrant celebration of music, culture, and most importantly, community. It's where the unfamiliar face in the crowd becomes the friend you dance with. It's where diversity isn’t just welcomed, it's celebrated. It's where music, the universal connector, weaves a tapestry of shared experiences, creating memories that last a lifetime Hold on to your festival hats, folks! With a lineup brimming with a blend of local and global music powerhouses, HEY NEIGHBOUR pr

Mzansi Magic is set to reveal the intricate and exciting world of  Maskandi  music with the launch of its brand-new reality show,  Kings of Maskandi . The Covid-19 pandemic knocked Maskandi artists, Sibusiso Mkhize, Nelisani Mseleku, Sakhiseni Mseleku and Khulekani Shongwe down, but they are making a comeback and putting everything they've got into reviving their careers. With its premiere on DStv channel 161 on Wednesday 3 May, the show will provide DStv Compact viewers with an in-depth look at the lives of these Maskandi artists and explore the competition that arises in the changing world order where popularity rules. Throughout  Kings of Maskandi,  viewers will gain a unique insight into their lives, both on and off-stage.   As they embark on their performing careers with limited resources post-Covid-19, Mzansi Magic viewers will witness what truly makes them unique. “This show explores the essence of Maskandi music, a genre that is widely enjoyed by diverse music lovers, espec

Having recently announced the return of popular lifestyle experience POP BOTTLES into the market, organizers confirmed more info about the much anticipated event.  Kicking off this April, the first of the series for the year will take place on Sunday, 30th April 2023 at the James & Ethel Grey Park in Melrose, Johannesburg. POP BOTTLES, best known for its hip hop and house playlists plans to keep it authentic, and add some hot Amapiano and Afrobeats tunes into the mix. The fiery lineup includes award winning artist Blxckie alongside iconic DJ’s PH, KOTW, Milkshake and Ayanda  New generation masters off the decks Shilly Mingz, Devlin, Jovis and Slade are also featured. Remaining aligned to the true intrinsics of the POP BOTTLES event, this laid back Sunday gathering is a celebration of positive living and success. And everyone is invited! IMPORTANT INFO VENUE : James & Ethel Grey Park in Melrose, Johannesburg. DATE : Sunday, 30th April 2023  TIME : 12PM - 12AM TICKETS : R250 - up

SOWETO born Amapiano dj and producer Musa Ndebele popularly known as Msaro is set to release his first ever single titled Guitar session. The single will drop on the 10th of March featuring Thee Exclusive _ Prince Zondo.  “AmaNom_Nom”, a phrase that depicts sweetness and good taste, are what he has named his 31 volumes of mixes. Reaching high numbers of downloads and awareness, he has also went on to attract a large audience with his sound. DJ Msaro's career has travelled only upward, and his love for production and skill-set grew steadily combining the love of getting people off the chairs with the love of music, Msaro has managed to gradually become a household name and a local mentor for upcoming producers in Soweto. Msaro’s prestigious and notable occasions is a testament to the hard work and many years of finessing his trade as an avid music fan, producer and DJ. Msaro’s work goes on to reflect his level of maturity and understanding of sounds, instruments and composing experi

Johannesburg, South  Africa -  Concert organizer Sonic Cities today  confirmed the award winning artist Jacob Banks will be coming to SA next month. Set to perform for the first time in the country on Friday 3rd of March 2023 in Johannesburg, the UK based, Nigerian-born singer and songwriter will headline this intimate show at 1 Fox, Newtown. Like all trailblazers, Jacob Banks has defied any and all music boundaries since his debut onto the scene over ten years ago. His ear-catching signature sound remains equally steeped in the swing of R&B,  the grit of rock n roll and pop, the gusto of hip-hop and a splash of reggae and gospel. Jacob Banks crafts his songs around his rich baritone voice for his multi-layered productions. Renowned for his hit ‘Chainsmoking’ which has racked up over 25m views on Youtube and more than 51m streams on Spotify, and his critically acclaimed 2022 album ‘Lies about The War’ Jacob Banks performs to sold out shows across the world.  Limited tickets availab

If you could ask your favourite local musician any questions about their work, what would you want to know? Well, the Mzansi Magic Music show,  Afropop Nation , has got you covered. Every Saturday evening, the show invites top musos into a picturesque and creative intimate studio setting to talk about their journey, their music and who they’re listening to right now. It’s an inside look at what makes African culture pop. Afropop Nation  covers the cultural impact of artists while taking us through the history of various subgenres. This is topped off by magnificent in-studio performances by featured artists, as they sing their most-loved and biggest hits. With Ami Faku and Blaq Diamond already having starred on the show, upcoming guests this season include  Moneoa, Berita, Una Rams, Langa Mavuso and Sino Msolo. Afropop Nation  is the one-stop shop for all things African pop culture, a platform of expression for African artists and youth celebrating the freedom to just be. Don’t miss it:

Blank Space Records is excited to announce the release of the new EP from Stephen of Kent, Future Kwaito: Volume 3, which is available worldwide on all digital streaming platforms. Listen here Future Kwaito Freestyle is a trilogy volume series, written and performed by Stephen of Kent . The series explores the sounds of the popular sound wave and the culture of Kwaito, a music genre that emerged in Soweto, South Africa, during the 1990’s.  In evolving the sound that is Future Kwaito, Stephen of Kent released 2 previous collections of the series; Volume 1 and 2. On the track, Future Kwaito Freestyle in Volume 1 , Stephen of Kent powerfully declares that “the empire is about to burn to pieces”, setting the stage for his genre-shifting offering to the sonic universe.  The second installment of the series opens with a clever flip of Thebe’s ‘Groovers Prayer’ on a track titled ‘Guluva’s Prayer’. This highlights the distinct and unique experimental approach that the multidis ciplinary singe

The Government of Senegal has accepted and undertaken to host the 8 th  edition of All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA at a joint world media conference - host country unveiling held at the Hotel King Fahd Royal Palace, in Dakar, Senegal on Friday November 4, 2022.   The awards ceremony will now be held from January 12 to 15, 2023, in Dakar, Senegal; shifting the previous date up by four weeks as jointly announced by The International Committee of AFRIMA, The African union commission and The Republic of Senegal. This also means that the voting deadline for the nominees will now be shifted to Friday, 13 January 2023. This will be the first time the main awards ceremony will be held in a francophone country after past editions.   Had in attendance at the conference were the representatives of Senegalese Minister of Culture and communication; and Minister of Tourism and Air travels, Special Adviser to the President of Senegal, Dr. Massamba Gaye alongside local and international media professi

Singer, Songwriter & Producer, Nonhle Mhlongo, affectionately known as Skye Wanda, whose prolific penmanship pivoted the spirit of groove tunes into an upper echelon as she has been honoured by the inaugural Basadi In Music Awards, winning the coveted SAMRO Songwriter Of The Year award. Skye Wanda garnered the accolade for her evergreen songwriting contributions for the likes of Zakes Bantwini, DJ Tira, Harrison Crump, Kings Of The Weekend, Malumz On Decks, Prince Bulo, Beast, Zakwe, Worst Behavior, Themba Broly , and Benny Maverick to name a few. In grand songwriter fashion, Skye Wanda celebrates her win by announcing her brand new single “AMAZWI” scheduled for release on 21 October 2022. “AMAZWI” taken from her forthcoming project, “STARLIGHT”, sets the tone for a booked and busy festival season where Skye will adorn her fans with roof-tearing performances.

  On the 26th of November, Y, the biggest commercial youth radio station in South Africa, takes its LYFE music festival to the East Rand.   Globally acclaimed, Grammy Award-winning, superstar Black Coffee returns to South Africa in November following an unparalleled 5-month, European summer tour to take the reins of this highly anticipated summer festival.   Carnival City Lawns will witness performances by global Amapiano stars Focalistic, DBN Gogo and Musa Keys.  AKA, who has one of the most impressive catalogues in South Africa, will be on the stage too.   Hip Hop royalty Nasty C, internationally acclaimed DJ Lag, together with A-Reece, Maglera Doe Boy, Sha Sha and SAMA Winner Nomfundo Moh, Y’s own Venom, Legendary Crisp, Candii and Fif_laaa are expected to set the stage alight as they officially usher in Summer 2022.   Focalistic, DBN Gogo and Musa Keys, celebrated for the local Amapiano genre, are creating waves internationally while touring the world. Nasty C is a respected hip-ho

Making World Music, Rapture 90s a trio from Alexandra Johannesburg with a single subtitled “Sondela” managed to hit 40 000 streams on spotify and got played in more than 108 countries across the globe. World Music takes different forms of musical styles all around the world like Bossa Nova, Rock, Punk, Jazz, Soul, Samba and Hip Hop and puts them in a single groove that can be enjoyed by anyone from different race, gender or ethnicity. Whenever they get in the studio they start painting the world musically with sounds which cross from border to border. "For us music is about setting a light to many than chancing stardom or fame. We believe that many people are still yet to set a taste of greatness when they listen to our music." Serving music for more than 5 years now they have performed with the likes of Shimza, Kabza De Small, Young Stunna and many more. They say from Alexandra many think that it’s impossible to make it out to the world with anything but crime, which they ha

Aiming to elevate and highlight the essence of African talent across the continent                      Leading African media management company Culture Management Group (CMG) announced today “Road to Afrochella,” an experiential popup activation designed to introduce and highlight Afrochella to the Sub-Saharan market to kick off in Johannesburg, South Africa later this month. As we get closer to ‘Detty December’ in Ghana, the “Road to Afrochella” series will make a stop in the entertainment capital on Sunday, 30th October at the premium Altitude Beach venue. Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg’s vibrant city, this first-of-its-kind Afrochella one day event will be the ultimate destination for luxury and exclusivity.            “Afrochella has always been more than just a festival in Ghana and because of that, we’re so excited to bring our “Road to Afrochella” series to South Africa! Through this popup event, we have the opportunity to bring our platform to other region