Historically great Musicians of South Africa

Other Amazing Musicians from South Africa

While Hugh Masekela might have pioneered the music scene, there are a variety of excellent musicians from South Africa who came after him.

• Miriam Makeba – Referred to as “Mamba Africa,” she was actually married to Hugh Masekela briefly, and they shared the same love of music and passion for politics and human rights. This civil rights activist was known musically for jazz and Afropop music. Using her musical platform, she too spoke out against the white government in South Africa. Her music career was mostly successful in the U.S. after she was exiled from South Africa. She is largely considered the first musician to bring African music to the rest of the world.
• Francois Van Coke – Looking at a newer musician, Van Coke has been performing mostly since 2003. Playing in the alternative-rock genre, his music also is political. He speaks out against the displacement of Africans. His music is different than others in Africa, and is one of the most famous South African Rock musicians. Choosing to play a genre other than trumpets and Jazz, Van Coke is a pioneer in his own right, as he proved to other musicians in South Africa that there is more music to be played than just Jazz.
• Spoek Mathambo – another musician who created some newer music, different thant he typical mold of South African music, this musician focused on dubstep, punk, and the electro genre of music. This type of music wasn’t really on the scene in South Africa until Mathambo.
• Tidal Waves – no summary of South African musicians could be complete without adding some Reggae flavor. This band is a quintet that has toured all over the world. The son of Reggae legend Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, saw them perform live and immediately booked a tour with them, as he was so impressed. With the backing of Ziggy, this quintet is now considered to be a strong up and comer in the worldwide Reggae scene.