Figure 1 - Photograph of Spoek Mathambo. Source - Google 

Angélique Kidjo 

Angélique Kidjo, a four-time Grammy Award winner, is one of the most influential performers in international music today, a creative powerhouse with thirteen albums to her credit. She made her debut in the music industry in the 1980s and hasn't looked back since. Following the release of her chart-topping 1991 album Logozo, West African singer Angélique Kidjo established herself as a fixture of world music, combining her unique multilingual fusion of Afrobeat, pop, jazz, reggae, and various African traditions with collaborators ranging from Philip Glass and the Kronos Quartet to Peter Gabriel, Alicia Keys, Dr. John, and others. Kidjo speaks about child labor in her 1992 breakthrough single "We We," which was especially prevalent in African communities at the time. In 2002, the West African singer-songwriter was named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Kidjo's music continues to raise awareness now. In her 2014 album EVE, she sings about the everyday challenges that women experience while simultaneously promoting their strengths.

Figure 2 - Photograph of Angélique Kidjo. Source - Google

Sauti Sol

Sauti Sol is a Kenyan Afro-pop group that was named Best Group (Africa) at the 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards, as well as the 2016 Soundcity MTV Awards and the African Muzik Magazine Awards. Bien-Aime Baraza, Willis Austin Chimano, Polycarp Otieno, and Savara Mudigi make up the ensemble, which combines soulful vocals with vocal harmonies, guitar riffs, and drum rhythm. Sauti Sol's music combines warm, resonant pop with indigenous Kenyan elements. Sauti Sol made history in 2016 when they became the first Kenyan artist to run a successful and professional nationwide tour. Sauti Sol's Live and Die in Afrika tour, which began in Kenya, expanded to the international arena, with an emphasis on African nations and a thorough American tour. Their fusion of dynamic rhythms has propelled the ensemble to prominence as one of Africa's most recognized.

Mr. Eazi

 

Oluwatosin Ajibade, better known as Mr. Eazi, is a Nigerian singer, composer, and entrepreneur whose distinct style, termed "Banku" music, never appears to break stride, even as it combines Nigerian Afrobeats with Ghanaian elements. Two singles, "Pipi Dance" and "Bankulize," achieved popularity on dance floors in both Ghana and the United Kingdom, and he returned to Lagos in 2016 to try his luck in the region's largest market. He released Life Is Eazi, Vol. 1 – Accra To Lagos  in 2017, which included songs like "Leg Over," which are notable for being deliberately utilizing basic sounds with just enough swing to grab listeners. Eazi is currently the driving force behind emPawa, a hybrid charity and investment initiative aimed at providing the next generation of African artists with the resources they need to thrive.

Sha Sha 

Charmaine Shamiso "Sha Sha" Mapimbiro, a Zimbabwean singer and songwriter, is known as the "Queen of Amapiano," a South African genre of music that combines jazz, house, kwaito, and other sounds. Her career began in 2011 when she was 19 years old, and she was found by Audius Mtawarira. She rose to prominence through her collaborations with South African amapiano producers such as DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small, on whose song "We Mama" she performed in 2019. In the same year, she released her debut EP, "Blossom," an eight-track collection featuring Samthing Soweto, DJ Maphorisa, and Kabza De Small. Her single "Tender Love" charted in the top ten on four separate streaming sites. At the 2020 BET Awards, she was won “New International Act."