Africans have always had a rich and complex relationship with art. In this article, we will focus on two of the most popular African art forms; music and visual arts. While African art has existed for centuries, the last decade has seen a significant transformation in African music. This new genre has piqued public interest all throughout the globe with its unique melodies.
Since the early 1990s, African creativity has seen a surge in growth, with more and more foreign venues opening their doors to African exhibits throughout the globe. It is expected that this generation of artists will carry African art and music into the future. Here are the best African artists of 2021.
Kabelo Motha is one of the most famous musicians in South Africa, and many people believe he is the best musician. He is often referred to as the "King of Amapiano" and is considered the founder of this musical genre. Kabza De Small typically creates music that is melodic, lively, and catchy. He is a champion of an insurmountable melody that has crossed continents and gained acceptance from those who have never heard of him. Kabza De Small has won the Best Produced Album South African Music Award as well as the 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards. It's not by luck that he's at the top of this list - it's because he truly is one of the best in the business.
Wizkid, full name Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, is an extremely popular Nigerian songwriter and musician. When he was only 11 years old, he started recording music with a band called the Glorious Five that he made with some friends from church. In 2009, Wizkidwas hired by Banky W's Empire Mates Entertainment to record under their label. As of February 2021, Wizkids'music has been streamed over 3.4 billion times on Spotify- making him the most listened to African musician ever!
Wizkid's worldwide fame sky-rocketed in 2016 after his featured spot on Drake's chart-topping track "One Dance." The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 not only in America, but in Wizkid became the first Afro-pop artist to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Enfant Precoce, or Francis Essoua Kalu, is an African-Cameroonian artist who produces chaotic and vivid scenes of nature, people, and mythical creatures. Rather than focusing on making social or political statements with their work, the artist wants viewers to explore their own imagination and fantasy when looking at their art.
Fresh Boy, also called Fik Fameica, is one of East Africa's most up-and-coming rappers. His music career started in late 2017 with the release of Kutama. The 24 year old prefers to experiment with a reggae-influenced style rather than sticking to more traditional Ugandan music. So far he has collaborated with other well-known African artists such as Joeboy and Vanessa Mdee to break through musical boundaries and engage with young people from all walks of life via his music.
At only twenty-one years old, Elaine is quickly becoming one of Africa's leading R&B artists. With her beautiful voice and moving melodies, she has amazed the nation and established herself as a force to be reckoned with.
Elaine's 2019 song, You're the One catapulted her to fame worldwide. South Africa particularly streamed her music a lot, making her one of the country's most played musicians. Elaine had already shown promise with Elements, her first EP that contained natural R&B songs about love and relationships. Beyond just South Africa, she has managed to kindle people's interest in good old R&B music again and is currently signed on with Columbia Records in America.
Thandiwe Muriu is an African visual artist and their chosen area of expertise is photography. Thandiwe has managed to create a unique combination of traditional African motifs, patterning as well as haute couture within her images which have caused them to be quite popular. Though the photographs may look like they belong in Vogue, it's the representatives of black culture such as the patterns, afro wigs and usage of black models that make them so special.
BB is an African musician who has gathered an unbelievable reputation as one of the top African artists in 2021 for his infectious songs. gaining popularity and fame in 2012 with the release of his lead single "Like to Party'' from his first album called L.I.F.E, 5 other singles had already been released a year prior by Aristokrat Records though the full album wasn't until after August 13th, 2013. Skip ahead to present day where BB just won a Grammy Award in 2021 for Twice as Tall taking home Best Global Music Album honors
The global art scene is about to get a lot more colorful, due in no small part to the amazingly talented African artists who are only just now starting to gain worldwide attention. These are the best African artists of 2021, and we can't wait to see what they do next!
