2018 in African music explained

See also: Timeline of musical events.

The following is a list of events and releases that have happened or are expected to happen in 2018 in African music.

Events

• January 10 – The Premium Times lists Squeeze Tarela and Bella Alubo among its "Nigerian artistes to look out for in 2018".^[1]
• January 13 – Youssou N'Dour, on tour in the Gambia, praises the Gambian people and expresses optimism for the country's future.^[2]
• January 28 – At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, Ladysmith Black Mambazo win the award for Best World Music Album with Shaka Zulu Revisited: 30th Anniversary Celebration and are nominated for the Best Children's Album award for Songs of Peace & Love for Kids & Parents Around the World.^[3]
• March 30 – Announcement of the winner of the AfriMusic Song Contest 2018, the first pan-African song contest. Eswatini win the contest, represented by the song "Sengikhona", performed by Symphony (Zanele Cele).^[4]
• June 2 – Rita Ray presents a major new series on BBC television: Africa: A Journey Into Music.^[5]
• August 10 – The Minnesota Orchestra becomes the first American orchestra ever to perform in South Africa when it gives the first concert of its South African tour, at City Hall, Cape Town.^[6]

Albums released in 2018

Release date	Artist	Album	Genre	Label	Ref
January 26	Burna Boy	Outside	Afrobeats, hip-hop, dancehall	Atlantic Records	^[7]
	Professor	Composed by Jesus Christ	Kwaito, dance	Kalawa Jazmee Records	^[8]
January 31	Zaki Ibrahim	The Secret Life of Planets	R&B, soul	Indie	^[9]
February 9	M.I Abaga	Rendezvous: The Playlist	Hip-hop	Chocolate City	^[10]
February 23	Femi Kuti	One People One World	Afrobeat	Knitting Factory Records	^[11]
February 23	Hailu Mergia	Lala Belu	Jazz	Awesome Tapes from Africa	^[12]
March ?	Pape Diouf	Enjoy!	Mbalax, World		^[13]
March 2	Seun Kuti	Black Times	Afrobeat, World	Strut Records	^[14]
March 27	Brymo	Oṣó	Alternative folk, Yoruba music	Indie	^[15]
May 21	Allah Thérèse & N'Goran Laloi	Bé gnanssou moayé
May 14	Ike Moriz	Millennium Hits 2002 - 2018	Pop, Rock, Jazz	Mosquito Records London	^[16]
May 25	DJ Neptune	Greatness	Afrobeats, hip-hop	Neptune Records	^[17]
	Adekunle Gold	About 30	World, highlife	Afro Urban Records, Empire	^[18]
June 15	Zonke	L.O.V.E	Afro-soul	Sony	^[19]
August 24	M.I Abaga		Hip-hop	Chocolate City	^[20]
September 11	Steve Kekana	Ubuntu	Sold Out Music
October 19	Razia	The Road	Razia Said Music		^[21]
November 9	Mr Eazi	Life Is Eazi, Vol. 2 - Lagos to London	Afrobeats	Banku Music	^[22]
November 16	Mayorkun	The Mayor of Lagos	Afropop	Davido Music Worldwide	^[23]

Classical

• Michael Blake – Lovedale Harmony (in memory of Siya Betana) (2017) for saxophone quartet^[24]

Deaths

• January 3 – Lara Kruger, 30, South African DJ (Motsweding FM) and transgender rights activist^[25]
• January 4 – Joseph Gunduza Magigwani, 37, Zimbabwean actor and gospel singer (traffic collision)^[26]
• January 23 – Hugh Masekela, 78, South African jazz instrumentalist, composer and singer^[27]
• February 1 – Mowzey Radio, 33, Ugandan musician (head injuries from a fight)^[28]
• February 8 - Ebony Reigns, 20, Ghanaian singer (traffic collision)^[29]
• March 19 – Shavey, Kenyan dancehall singer (traffic collision)^[30]
• April 2 – Ahmed Janka Nabay, Sierra Leonean musician, 54^[31]
• May 20 – N'Goran La Loi, Ivorian accordionist, husband and partner of Allah Thérèse, 87^[32]
• June 10 – Ras Kimono, Nigerian reggae musician, 60^[33]
• September 12 – Rachid Taha, Algerian singer (Carte de Séjour), 59 (heart attack)^[34]
• October 3 – Joseph Kamaru, Kenyan benga musician and political activist, 79 (complications from Parkinson's disease)^[35]
• October 24 – Hip Hop Pantsula, South African rapper, 38^[36]
• November 13 – Brian Rusike, Zimbabwean songwriter and keyboardist, 62^[37]

See also

• 2018 in music

Notes and References

1. Web site: Top 10 Nigerian artistes to look out for in 2018. Idoko Salihu. Premium Times. 3 April 2018.
2. Web site: Youssou N’Dour: Gambia has huge potential. Bakary Ceesay. Music-Africa. 22 January 2018. 3 April 2018.
3. Web site: LadySmith Black Mambazo wins fifth Grammy award. CNN. 29 January 2018. 2 February 2018.
4. Web site: Swaziland Win The First AfriMusic Song Contest. Fowell. Ian. 30 March 2018. ESCCovers.
5. Web site: Africa: A Journey Into Music review – Nigeria's rich musical history is examined. 1 June 2018. The Guardian. Sam Wollaston. 13 June 2018.
6. News: Minnesota Orchestra Honors Nelson Mandela By Bringing Music To South Africar . National Public Radio. All Things Considered. Euan Kerr . 2018-08-16 . 2018-09-22.
7. Web site: ALBUM REVIEW: ‘OUTSIDE’ — Burna Boy is a jerk, who is also a Genius . Medium . 29 January 2019 . 5 February 2018.
8. Web site: Sabelo Mkhabelo . Professor Proves Jesus Is a Great Kwaito Composer In His Latest Album . Okay Africa . 29 January 2019 . 7 February 2018.
9. Web site: Anupa Mistry . Zaki Ibrahim The Secret Life of Planets Album Review . Pitchfork . 29 January 2019 . 15 February 2018.
10. Web site: REVIEW: M.I Abaga's "Rendezvous" Is a Decent Crossroad Of Musical Diversity. 2018-02-15. Nigerian Entertainment Today. en-GB. 2019-06-14.
11. Web site: Adriane Pontecorvo . Femi Kuti Wants to Unite the World on 'One People One World' . Pop Matters . 29 January 2019 . 27 February 2018.
12. Web site: Hailu Mergia: Lala Belu review – African accordion star still an original. Kate Hutchinson . February 23, 2018. The Guardian . December 16, 2020.
13. Web site: Pape Diouf & La Generation Consciente. Womex. 16 December 2020 . 6 March 2018.
14. Web site: Phillip Mlynar . Seun Kuti & Egypt 80: Black Times Album Review . Pitchfork . 29 January 2019 . 6 March 2018.
15. Web site: Singer releases 6th album "OṢÓ" . Pulse Nigeria . 17 January 2019 . 28 March 2018.
16. Web site: Mosquito Records London. May 14, 2018. Ike Moriz - Millennium Hits 2002 - 2018. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180928073623/http://mosquitorecords.co.za/news/press-releases/millennium-hits-2002---2018.html . 2018-09-28 . 17 October 2020. Mosquito Records London News.
17. Web site: Alex Ndace . Alex Ndace: An Exploration of Sounds and Diversified Genres… A Review of DJ Neptune’s “Greatness” Album . . 29 January 2019 . 31 May 2018.
18. Web site: Ehis Ohunyon . Adekunle Gold's About 30 is about growth, substance and good vibes . Pulse Nigeria . 29 January 2019 . 25 May 2018.
19. Web site: Nokuthula Zwane . Zonke opens herself up with L.O.V.E . IOL . 29 January 2019 . 15 June 2018.
20. Web site: MI Abaga releases long-awaited Yung Denzel album . Music in Africa . 29 January 2019 . 24 August 2018.
21. Web site: Razia Releases New Album "The Road," On October 19, 2018. T4C . 16 December 2020 . 19 October 2018.
22. Web site: Dennis Peter . Review: “Life Is Eazi, Volume 2- Lagos To London” Is A Loose Document Of Mr Eazi’s Continued Rise . . 29 January 2019 . 13 November 2018.
23. Web site: Ohunyon . Ehis . First listen take of Mayorkun's debut album, The Mayor of Lagos . Pulse NG . 3 November 2019 . 16 November 2018.
24. Web site: Lovedale Harmony (in memory of Siya Betana) (2017). Michael Blake. 1 February 2018.
25. News: Motsweding FM DJ Lara Kruger has died. 10 January 2018. en-US.
26. https://www.newsday.co.zw/2018/01/former-wenera-actor-dies-in-car-crash/ Former Wenera actor dies in car crash
27. Web site: Family Statement – Hugh Masekela. hughmasekela.co.za. 24 January 2018.
28. News: Ugandan musician Mowzey Radio dies. www.newvision.co.ug. 2018-02-01.
29. http://www.ghafla.com/gh/ebony-reigns-dies-fatal-motor-accident/ Ebony Reigns Dies In A Gory Motor Crash
30. http://www.ghafla.com/ke/dancehall-star-shavey-of-the-famed-gyal-hit-song-dies-after-being-run-over-by-matatu/ Dancehall star Shavey of the famed ‘Gyal’ hit song dies after being run over by matatu
31. https://www.spin.com/2018/04/janka-nabay-obituary/ “Bubu Music” Pioneer Janka Nabay Has Died
32. Web site: Après le décès de N’goran la Loi, Allah Thérèse effondrée : "Je ne peux plus continuer sans lui". abidjan.net. May 27, 2018. December 6, 2018.
33. https://web.archive.org/web/20190606164356/https://tvcnews.tv/2018/06/nigerian-reggae-artist-ras-kimono-dies-after-brief-illness/ Nigerian reggae artist, Ras Kimono dies after brief illness
34. https://www.france24.com/en/20180912-french-based-algerian-singer-rachid-taha-dies-59 France-based Algerian singer Rachid Taha dies at 59
35. https://www.nation.co.ke/counties/muranga/Joseph-Kamaru-dies-at-MP-Shah-Hospital/1183310-4790634-11eq94m/index.html Musician Joseph Kamaru, 79, dies at MP Shah Hospital
36. Web site: Hip Hop veteran HHP has passed away . 2018-10-24 . 2018-10-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181024231908/https://www.ebnewsdaily.co.za/2018/10/Hip-Hop-veteran-HHP-has-passed-away.html . dead .
37. https://www.gemnation.news/just-in-zims-original-pied-pipers-member-dies/ Zim’s original Pied Pipers member dies