It would be a crime to talk about African music without talking about African DJs. Mainly iconic African DJs who have made their mark in the music industry. Over time, African disc jockeys have grown from performing at home to performing on international waters. They have played their part in showing the world exactly what Afrobeats is made of.
A long list of DJs have played essential roles in putting African music on the map. As such, the focus of this piece will be on several African Djs worth mentioning in the books of history.
DJ Maphorisa
Also known as Themba Sekowe, DJ Maphorisa is a South African disc jockey, producer, and singer who has been in the music space for over a decade. He started his career in the music industry by producing a couple of hit songs for artists like Uhuru, Busiswa, and Shekinah.
As an African DJ, Maphorisa made a massive statement with his 2018 release. The release is titled “Midnight Starring,” and became a hit at home and abroad.
In 2022, Maphorisa was recognized as the African DJ of The Year by the Soundcity MVP Awards. The South African DJ has subsequently released several projects and collaborations with more leading artists like Kabza de Small, Sir Trill, and Visca.
Take a quick look at one of our favourite tunes from DJ Maphorisa:
Black Coffee
This is another South African DJ, producer, and entrepreneur whose music has made waves at home and abroad. Over the last decade, DJ Black Coffee has solidified his status in the music industry as a name to be reckoned with, especially in electronic music.
DJ Black Coffee’s music remains unique due to his uncanny ability to merge traditional African percussion with distinct techno sounds. He does this while adding elements of his South African background to every project he works on.
This iconic African DJ has worked with superstars like Alicia Keys, Drake, Pharrell Williams, and David Guetta. On a more recent feat, DJ Black Coffee won a Grammy Award for the best dance/electronic music album in 2022. I don’t know what else does if that doesn’t solidify his place as an icon!
DJ Switch
What started as a casual XFactor win for DJ Switch in 2013 blossomed into an exciting career for DJ Switch. This Nigerian disc jockey defied odds as a female DJ and went ahead to create music that made it to the Big Brother Naija House in 2020.
This African DJ made waves not just as a dic jockey with iinsane transitions, but also as an activist who risked a lot to make her voice heard during the iconic #EndsSars protest that made Nigerian headlines a few years ago.
Jimmy Jatt
This Nigerian DJ started as a rapper, Master J, in the late 2000s but soon found himself leaning more towards disc jockeying as his rap career wasn’t thriving. Additionally, as a DJ, he hosted street carnivals that became a hit among upcoming rappers. This pushed him further into the industry, and he soon released his mixtape The Definition featuring MI, Naeto C, Sound Sultan, and several others.
More recently, DJ Jimmy Jatt has been missing from the music space as a chronic kidney illness has kept him from making music like he used to. However, we can enjoy a DJ Jimmy Jatt classic;
Oskido
DJ Oskido’s career started as a sub-DJ and grew till he became one of the biggest Zimbabwean DJs. This iconic African DJ has produced over ten studio albums in the past decade and had a massive role in bringing music groups like Mafikizolo together.
Additionally, DJ Oskido’s music played a considerable role in the Kwaito revolution, a sound that originated in South Africa. Years later, he has worked with renowned artists like Boom Shaka besides Mafikizolo.
DJ Zinhle
Another African DJ worth mentioning is DJ Zinhle, a South African disc jockey and media personality who ahs been in the scene from as early as 2004.
Zinhle’s passion for music pushed her into the position of resident DJ at the SABC1 music show Jika Majika. DJ Zinhle’s career spans across acting, hosting, and several other niches.
DJ Spinall
Finally, we’re ending this list with DJ Spinall, a famous Nigerian DJ who has been in the industry for years. This African DJ started as a radio DJ in Raypower in 2004 and slowly became a well-recognized disc jockey, record producer, and songwriter.
DJ Spinall’s work spans several hit songs, albums, and collaborations featuring artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Kizz Daniel, and Davido. Additionally, he made history as the first African DJ to play at the Texas SXSW Festival. After that, he signed a record deal with Atlantic Records UK.
DJ Spinall is recognized globally with multiple Nigerian and African music awards. Let’s look at one of our favourite songs from DJ Spinall just because we can.