The Best Mariachi Songs | A Top 14
What country has the best music in the world? It’s a question with many answers. However, if you ask, which country’s music is the best
South Africa is a country with a history of struggle and resilience. It is also a country full of celebrations. And, there’s no better way to know a country than through its language and music. After all, languages and music carry the stories of resilience and celebration of their people.
With 12 official languages, one would naturally expect many genres of music in South Africa. For example, Amapiano, Kwaito, and Gqom blend urban slang with English and Zulu language. Mbaqanga and Maskandi use the Zulu traditions, while Afrikaans folk and Afro-rock draw from European influences.
South African jazz and Afro-pop often mix multiple languages. Then, modern South African music has given genres like Amapiano and Mbaqanga.
Before discussing South African singers, it would be best if I discussed many genres of music in South Africa. After all, South African music genres are as diverse as its languages.
Amapiano is a South African house music subgenre that took the world by storm in the early 2010s. It blends deep house, jazz, and Kwaito. The result is sweet piano melodies, airy synths, log drum basslines, and slow, rhythmic beats.
The genre got popular from the townships of Gauteng, particularly in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Another unique thing is Amapiano lyrics, a mix of Zulu, Sotho, English, and township slang, making the music relatable.
Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa are the reasons that this genre of music in South Africa has gone global. Other singers include Young Stunna, Tyler ICU, and Sha Sha. Tyla is special because she uses Amapiano influences in her Afrobeats music. Speaking of Afrobeats, don’t forget to check out the best Afrobeat artists.
South African jazz is a fusion of American jazz, African traditional music, and township styles like marabi and kwela. However, by the 1950s, the genre had a distinct identity, blending African rhythms and brass instrumentation. Unlike American jazz, South African jazz has a strong groove, which makes it more danceable.
During apartheid, South African jazz was a form of resistance. When the government banned gatherings, jazz musicians used underground performances and coded lyrics to protest oppression. South African singers like Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim had to go into exile. I covered Abdullah Ibrahim’s work in the best jazz albums.
Miriam Makeba, or commonly known as “Mama Africa,” used to speak against apartheid. Blue Notes was another defiant South African jazz band.
Afro Rock became popular in the late 1960s and 1970s. In South Africa, they blended rock, psychedelic music, and traditional South African music. Many Western rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix were the inspiration for the popularity of rock music.
South African musicians infused Zulu and Xhosa percussion, township jive, and call-and-response vocals. Some of the most notable South African Afro Rock bands include Freedom’s Children, Hawk, and Suck and Juluka.
Afro Rock was also censored heavily during apartheid. For example, Freedom’s Children’s 1968 album Astra faced censorship, and some members had to leave South Africa. Hawk’s album African Day had strong anti-apartheid themes. Johnny Clegg, a white musician, created a Juluka band with Sipho Mchunu to break racial barriers in music.
A Kenyan musician, Udele introduced me to this and some other South African genres. Kwaito is one of the most unique genres of music in South Africa from the 1990s. It is a fusion of house music, hip-hop, and traditional African music. Kwaito music has slow, heavy basslines, looped beats, and spoken or chanted vocals, often about township life.
Unlike house music, Kwaito has a more laid-back groove, making it a favorite for dancing. TKZee is one of the best South African singers who mixes Kwaito with hip-hop. Mandoza’s song Nkalakatha was a virat hit in 2000. Although Kwaito is not mainstream anymore, it still has a fan following in South African music.
Afro Pop is one of the popular genres of music in South Africa. It is a fusion of traditional African sounds, Western pop, R&B, and electronic music. The subgenres like mbaqanga, kwaito, and bubblegum music have a great South African influence.
Many South African singers sing Afro pop songs in Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, English, and Afrikaans languages. Some of the most iconic Afro Pop artists are Brenda Fassie and Yvonne Chaka Chaka.
Since there’s so much room for fusion in pop music, musicians also blend Afro Pop with Afrobeats, Amapiano, and hip-hop. An experience similar to European bands mixing music due to the diversity of band members across the globe.
Mbaqanga is a South African music genre from the 1960s with traditional Zulu music, jazz, and township jive. It is a danceable music for its energetic rhythms, groovy basslines, and call-and-response vocals.
Mbaqanga has an interesting story as a genre, as it developed as a response to urban migration during the mid-20th century. It was when many Black South Africans moved from rural areas to cities like Johannesburg, Durban, and Pretoria in search of work.
This migration was driven by apartheid-era policies, which restricted land ownership and forced people into labor in mines and factories. As people relocated, they brought their traditional Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho music traditions, and the result was mbaqanga.
Mahotella Queens and Mahlathini are some of the most popular South African singers of the mbaqanga genre. Although Mbaqanga declined after the 1980s, it still influences Afro Pop and contemporary South African jazz.
Shangaan Electro is an electronic dance music genre of the Tsonga people of South Africa’s Limpopo province. It evolved from traditional Shangaan music, which features hand drums, marimbas, and call-and-response vocals.
But Shangaan Electro replaces these elements with hyper-speed electronic beats and synth melodies. With tempos exceeding 180 BPM, it is one of the fastest dance music genres in the world.
Nozinja and Tshetsha Boys are some of the most popular South African singers of the Shangaan Electro genre.
Gqom is a dark, bass-heavy electronic dance music genre from the townships of Durban. Unlike house music, Gqom has minimalistic beats, distorted basslines and repetitive drum patterns. It is often described as having a “hard-hitting” sound.
Beyoncé also features gqom singers, Busiswa and Moonchild Sanelly, for her song, “My Power”. Diplo and Major Lazer have also used gqom beats in their music.
The name “Gqom” comes from a Zulu word meaning “hit” or “bang,”. Many South African singers use Zulu, Xhosa, or English language in a chant-like vocals or spoken word delivery in gqom songs. DJ Lag and Babes Wodumo are pioneers of one of the popular genres of music in South Africa.
There are other genres of music in South Africa like Maskandi, Marabi, Bubblegum Music and many others, which are quite popular. But, I will discuss some South African singers now.
Thandiswa Mazwai is among the most popular South African singers associated with Afro Soul, Afro Jazz, and Kwaito. She was the lead vocalist of Bongo Maffin, an influential Kwaito group of the late 1990s.
After five albums with Bongo Maffin, she went as a solo artist. And her debut album, “Zabalaza” was a platinum success and won the South African Music Award (SAMA) for Best Album. Since then, she has released 3 more solo albums.
She remains true to her Xhosa heritage by using traditional rhythms and languages in her work. She remains a cultural icon, with live performances at the 2010 FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony, the Cannes Film Festival, and many other premium events.
Enjoy her live performance on Tiny Desk’s YouTube channel. Want to explore more unique music? Check out the top YouTube music channels.
Mango Groove is a legendary South African band famous in Afro-pop, marabi, kwela, and township jazz. The band was created in 1984 and still plays music. Initially, they became famous with their upbeat, brass-infused sound and socially conscious lyrics.
In earlier years, they wrote lyrics that promoted unity during the final years of apartheid. In 1994, the band played for Mandela’s inauguration to a crowd of about 100,000 people.
Their self-titled debut album, Mango Groove, became one of South Africa’s best-selling albums. They followed that with albums such as Hometalk and Bang the Drum. Over the decades, they have won multiple South African Music Awards.
So far, the band has released 6 studio albums and countless singles. Their last album was in 2016 and they took 4 years to produce that album.
Hugh Masekela was a legendary South African jazz trumpeter, singer, and activist. There was an influence of township jazz, Afrobeat, and traditional South African music in his music. He used to sing songs about apartheid and to celebrate African identity.
When the government sent him into exile in the 1960s, he became a global ambassador for South African music. His song Grazing in the Grass became a massive hit, topping U.S. charts. Whereas, another song, Bring Him Back Home, became an anthem for Nelson Mandela’s freedom.
Over the years, he has won many South African Music Awards and 3 Grammy nominations. Masekela has also collaborated with global icons like Miriam Makeba, Fela Kuti, and Paul Simon.
Miriam Makeba was/is one of the best South African singers for her work in Afro-Jazz, Marabi, and World Music. She was also a prominent civil rights activist. She went into exile in 1960 and remained in America and other countries till 1990. During that time, her music was explicitly protestive and anti-apartheid.
Her song Pata Pata became an international hit. For the home audience, she sang popular songs like Malaika and Qongqothwane, in Xhosa and other African languages. Makeba won a Grammy Award in 1966, becoming the first African singer to win a Grammy.
She also collaborated with artists like Hugh Masekela, Paul Simon, and Harry Belafonte. She also received many honors, including the Dag Hammarskjöld Peace Prize in 1986, South Africa’s Order for Meritorious Service, and the prestigious Polar Music Prize in 2002. There’s also a movie about her life, Mama Africa.
Black Coffee is another world-famous South African DJ, singer and producer. Over the past 3 decades, he has won 8 South African Music Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album.
With 9 studio albums to his credit, he is famous for introducing many genres of music in South Africa in deep house music. Black Coffee has also collaborated with some of the biggest names in global music like Usher, Alicia Keys, David Guetta, and Drake.
He is a regular performer of world music festivals and has performed at Coachella, Tomorrowland, and Ultra Music Festival. He also owns a Soulistic Music label to help young South African singers excel in their music.
TKZee is one of the legendary South African music bands for pioneering the Kwaito genre. The band was created by three school friends in the 1990s. They are particularly famous for using languages like Zulu, Sotho, and English.
Their debut Kwaito album, “Halloween”, was one of South Africa’s most successful albums. However, it was their “Shibobo” song, featuring soccer star Benni McCarthy, which became a national anthem during the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
They also performed Shibobo at the official opening ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg. Over the years, they have won 5 South African Music Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Although group members later went for solo careers, and one member died, they are celebrated for their work in South African pop culture. Their ability to mix urban street culture with mainstream made Kwaito one of the popular South African genres globally.
Die Antwoord is one of the most internationally recognized South African music bands. They are also controversial because of their shocking visuals, explicit lyrics, and provocative performances. It comes from their adoption of the Zef subculture, a rebellious and exaggerated working-class aesthetic.
Well, as they say, if we don’t become infamous, will we not become famous? That’s pretty much the case with Die Antwoord.
As for their music, it’s a mix of hip-hop, electronic, and rave music with the use of South African languages Afrikaans and Zulu as counterculture. Their debut album, “$O$”, was an international success with the viral hit “Enter the Ninja.” Since then, they have released 4 more albums.
Bongeziwe Mabandla is quite an experimental South African singer due to his fusion of Afro-folk, soul, and electronic music. He also primarily sings in Xhosa language and uses traditional African stories in lyrics.
His debut album, “Umlilo”, caught the attention of Radio France, where it was one of the top 10 in Internationale Discoveries Awards. After that success, he has released 3 more albums. His second album, “Mangaliso”, won a South African Music Award.
Bongeziwe has gained international recognition, he regularly performs at festivals across Europe, especially France. His ability to experiment different genres of music in South Africa makes him a refreshing voice.
Nozinja is a pioneering South African who is credited with creating and popularizing Shangaan Electro.
This high-energy electronic dance genre has traditional Shangaan music roots but Nozinja infuses it with fast-paced beats, often exceeding 180 BPM. He mainly sings in the Tsonga language.
His first album, Nozinja Lodge, brought Shangaan Electro to global electronic and dance music scenes. Now, a number of DJs and producers collaborate with him after his successful experimental approach.
Apart from that, he also organises dance competitions to promote one of the unique genres of music in South Africa and internationally.
DJ Lag is one of the best South African DJ and producer. He is also known as the “King of Gqom.” Gqom is a dark and bass-heavy electronic genre from Durban’s townships. DJ Lag blends minimalist beats, hypnotic drum patterns, and Zulu influences to create a resonating sound.
His breakthrough came with tracks like “Ice Drop” and EPs such as “Trip to New York”. However, it was his co-production of “My Power” with Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift album, which made him an international star.
He has performed at major festivals like Coachella, Sonar, and Afropunk. His experimentations of different genres of music in South Africa like Gqom and Afro-house makes him a great addition to South African Music.
Three things are clear from our discussion of different genres of music in South Africa: it’s quite resilient, evolutionary and experimental. South African singers in the past used the music to fight the apartheid regime.
Not only that, they stuck to their traditional South African music and took international music to mould as per their roots rather than adopting foreign influences entirely. This is quite remarkable when you see the Afro next to almost every genre.
People often ask: what country has the best music in the world? Well, South Africa wouldn’t be behind. Also, don’t forget to check out the best South African books.
Meanwhile, if you have any favourite South African music genres or South African music bands, leave a comment!
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