Many well-known musicians originate in Africa. Many of them already have international fame due to their large social media following.
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Over the years, we’ve seen new singers break into the spotlight with a single song, while others took years to gain relevance. While there are hundreds of established artists in Africa, just a few have become household names. Whether you live in Kenya or Cameroon, we have some singers whose songs will always lift our spirits. In this guide, we will showcase the five most exceptional African award-winning musical performers.
Burna Boy
His stage name is Burna Boy, but his real name is Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (MFR). Burna Boy is a singer, songwriter, and performer. He became the first African musician to perform at the most famous arena in the world with his last outing at MSG. Many of his songs have earned him many Grammy nominations.
It was his album “Like to Party” released in 2012 that brought him popularity. In 2013 he was crowned by the South-South Music Awards and Nigeria Entertainment Awards. The Soundcity MVP has also crowned him with various awards in its different Awards Festivals. Burna Boy is among the African musical artists that have received many awards.
Tiwa Savage
Tiwa sings, writes songs, and also features in movies. The journey of her musical career started with her backup vocals for musicians like George Michael and Mary J. Blige. In 2020, at the Soundcity MVP Awards, she was crowded with the African Video of the Year award. She ended the 2014 musical year with the Musician of The Year (Female) award.
Tiwa has gone ahead to become a force that you cannot ignore in Africa. Each song she produces wins hearts for her. If there is something you would love about Tiwa, it’s her vocal dexterity.
Diamond Platnumz
Diamond Platnumz, whose real name is Nasibu Abdul Juma Issack is from Tanzania. He is a musician, artist, dancer, philanthropist, and businessman. WCB Wasafi Record Label, Wasafi Bet, and Wasafi Media all belong to him. He was once the winner of the Music Video Of The Year award at the Afro X Digital Awards. His song Kidogo earned him many awards. He made it to the list of a few Africans that were nominated for the BET Awards in 2021. In 2012 he was among the names nominated for the BET Awards for the best international act in Africa.
You don’t count the most influential African artistes without talking about Diamond Platnumz. He has been consistent in his songs that would keep you on the dancing floor longer than you would anticipate.
Davido
He is from Nigeria. Davido, real name David Adeleke sings, writes songs and produces records. His name is on the list of the richest Nigerians. In 2012 he was crowned with the Best Newcomer Award. He has been a winner of the Best International Act: Africa award at BET Award.
Over the years, Davido has proven that he knows the music business. When you think that he is fading away, he comes back stronger. The death of his son was his low point and he went away from the public view for a long time. However, that didn’t stop him from performing during the 2022 World Cup. In 2023, he came out with ‘Timeless,’ which brought his throne back to him.
Salif Keita
Salif Keita is a singer and songwriter from Mali. He is known as the “Golden Voice of Africa”. In 2011 he went home with the Best Traditional World Music Album award for Ali and Tounani. He also had the award for Best Traditional World Music Album from In the Heart of the Moon as one of his laurels. He was also crowned the Best International Act at BET Awards.
The Malian artiste has made it easier to name his country when it comes to places with legendary singers.
This list does not stop here because if we should add all artistes, the blog post might not be completed in days. You can add to the list by commenting below. We didn’t ignore any artiste because every African artiste has something unique to offer us. Finally, these five artistes have made Africa proud in their careers. What do you think?