5 biggest Mzansi music stars of 2020
THERE is no denying that South Africa has some of the best musicians the world has to offer.
Travel anywhere in the world and you are bound to hear a South African song somewhere.
From golden oldies by Miriam Makeba to new genres like amapiano and gqom – the world can’t get enough of our music.
South African musicians have been aggressively making their mark abroad for years and it’s no surprise our music is embraced.
Here is our list of 2020’s biggest South African stars in music:
Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode
No list of Mzansi’s biggest music stars would be complete without the award-winning duo that gave the world Jerusalema.
The hit song has brought in countless awards for the duo and has given them international recognition.
An accompanying dance challenge, attributed to a group of Angolan friends performing the choreography in a candid video, helped the song go viral online.
The #JerusalemaChallenge, which has been compared to the Macarena, spawned dance videos from many countries, including Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Spain, France, Jamaica, Canada and the USA.
Nasty C
It’s been a great year for this young hitmaker. In March, Nasty C signed a joint venture deal with Def Jam Africa Records, with the release of his single There They Go as his debut under the label.
In April, he released the visual EP Lost Files, with the songs presented in performance clips on YouTube.
He explained the EP’s concept stating: “They’re songs that didn’t make it onto certain projects, songs that ended up as just ideas.” In May, the EP was uploaded on Apple Music.
Later that month he made his acting debut with a cameo role in the six-part Netflix African original young adult series Blood & Water, playing the role of music producer, Zhero.
Nasty C teamed up with American rapper T.I. for the protest song They Don’t, with the proceeds from the song benefiting the non-profit organisations Until Freedom and the Solidarity Fund, with lyrics referencing the death of George Floyd.
He then also released his much-anticipated album Zulu Man with Some Power, his first full LP with Def Jam Africa.
