These South African Musicians Are Breaking Barriers In The Industry

Though South Africa may not be the first place people think about when searching for new music to listen to, several South African musicians are making a name for themselves locally and internationally. From folksy soothers to deep house artists, these musical acts are breaking through barriers in the music industry.

Beatenberg

Beatenberg, a Cape Town-based trio, fuses sounds characteristic of both African and conventional pop music to create feel-good tunes that are impossible not to love. The band—made up of singer and guitarist Matthew Field, bassist Ross Dorkin and drummer Robin Brink—really arrived when their hit Pluto was the most played song in the country for no less than 17 weeks. Then came the band’s second album, The Hanging Gardens of Beatenberg. Released in 2014, it earned them three awards at the South African Music Awards in 2015.

Black Coffee

Dan Patlansky

Blues-rock genius Dan Patlansky toured across 10 countries as the support act for Joe Satriani’s European tour, opened for Bruce Springsteen on his South African tour, and has had two albums in the UK iTunes Top 20 Blues Albums chart. He’s also one of only a few Africans to ever receive an endorsement from Fender, who acknowledged his immense talent. In 2014, his album Dear Silence Thieves, was voted the number one Blues Rock Album in the world by Blues Rock Review/USA.

DJ Euphonik

Themba Mbongeni Nkosi, also known as DJ Euphonik, is originally from Mpumalanga and had a love for music from a young age. His father’s taste in music influenced him greatly as he grew up listening to Marvin Gaye, Hugh Masekela, and Stimela. When he was a teenager, he gained an interest in DJing and soon started performing in clubs. Once his music received radio play, it was all uphill from there. Today, DJ Euphonik tours locally and internationally and he’s opened for some of the biggest names in electro music including Swedish House Mafia, Avicii, Skrillex, and Louie Vega.

Jeremy Loops

Jeremy Thomas Hewitt’s first album was released in 2011 under his stage name, Jeremy Loops, and it resulted in him being one of the most recognised names in the South African music industry. His musical career only started after completing a degree in finance and property development at the University of Cape Town. After realising that he’d much rather be travelling the world and playing guitar than working a full-time job, the singer/songwriter has toured internationally and has headlined gigs in the US and Europe. Using a loop pedal, Jeremy Loops creates upbeat rhythms that attract fans from all walks of life.

Lira

Lira (born Lerato Molapo) is a Johannesburg-based Afro-soul singer, multiple award winner, and reality show judge. She’s won 11 South African Music Awards and her albums have reached platinum more than once. Lira, together with a few international artists including Alicia Keyes and John Legend, performed in the 2010 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony and her rendition of Miriam Makeba’s Pata Pata really put her on the map. The performance set her apart from other artists and since then, her career has sky rocketed.

Matthew Mole

Matthew Mole’s exciting combination of folk and electronica is filling airwaves all across the country. His second album, RUN, reached number one on iTunes South Africa, and the single of the same title reached Platinum. The impressive album also received three South African Music Awards nominations. It’s no wonder that Mole will be opening for Bastille on their South African tour in October 2017.

Shekhinah

Shekhinah Donnell from Durban is taking local R&B to another level. She started out as a contestant on South Africa’s version of Idols and although she didn’t win the reality show, she’s considered one of the biggest successes to come from it. She collaborated with producer Sketchy Bongo to create the song Let You Know, which debuted in the US and continues to top download charts.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.