2022 in African music explained

The following is a list of events and releases that happened in 2022 in African music.

Events

• April 3  - Angélique Kidjo wins the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album for the second time, with her 2021 album Mother Nature.^[1]
• May 9  - CKay's "Love Nwantiti" becomes the first-ever African song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify.^[2]
• May 17  - Interviewed on Asaase Radio, Stonebwoy responds to criticism of himself and other African artists such as Black Sherif for attending a party hosted by Kendrick Lamar in Ghana.^[3]
• July 17  - The 18th series of Idols South Africa is launched, with new judges Thembi Seete and JR.^[4]
• August 6  - At a political rally in support of Kenyan politician Raila Odinga, Tanzanian musician Diamond Platnumz endorses Odinga as presidential candidate.^[5]
• September 4  - The 15th edition of Nigerian music awards The Headies is held in Atlanta, Georgia, United States.^[6]
• September 22  - Morocco's Tanjazz Festival is held after a two-year gap caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[7]

Albums released in 2022

Release date	Artist	Album	Genre	Label	Ref
January 28	Nomfundo Moh	Amagama	Afro-pop	Universal	^[8]
March 25	Rema	Rave & Roses	Afrorave	Jonzing World/Mavin Records
May 13, 2022	Obongjayar	Some Nights I Dream of Doors	Afrobeat	September Recordings	^[9]
May 20, 2020	Gigi Lamayne	Set in Stone	Hip hop		^[10]
May 27	Nduduzo Makhathini	In The Spirit Of Ntu	Jazz	Blue Note Africa	^[11]
July 8	Burna Boy	Love, Damini	Afro-fusion	Atlantic Records	^[12]
October 25	Amerado	G.I.N.A	Reggae, Afropop	MicBurnerz Music	^[13]
November 11	Gordon Koang	Community		Music in Exile	^[14]

Musical films

• Neptune Frost, starring Elvis Ngabo, Cheryl Isheja and Kaya Free, with music by Saul Williams^[15]

Deaths

• February 15  - Vivi l'internationale, 75–76, Beninese singer^[16]
• February 23  - Riky Rick, 34, South African rapper (suicide)^[17]
• March 28 (death announced on this date)  - Mira Calix, 51/52, South African electronic musician and producer^[18]
• April 8  - Osinachi Nwachukwu, 42, Nigerian gospel singer (cause undisclosed)^[19]
• April 14  - Orlando Julius, 79, Nigerian Afrobeat saxophonist, singer, bandleader, and songwriter^[20]
• May 15  - Deborah Fraser, 55, South African gospel singer (stroke)^[21]
• June 11  - Amb Osayomore Joseph, 69, Nigerian highlife pioneer^[22]
• June 12  - Dawit Nega, 34, Ethiopian singer^[23]
• June 21  - Pierre Narcisse, 45, Cameroonian singer^[24]
• August 15  - Tokollo Tshabalala, 45, South African Kwaito musician^[25]
• August 18  - Hadrawi, 79, Somali poet and songwriter^[26]
• September 12  - Dennis East, 73, South African singer, songwriter and producer^[27]
• November 6  - Ali Birra, 72, Ethiopian singer^[28]
• November 25  - Sammie Okposo, 51, Nigerian gospel singer^[29]
• December 5  - Hamsou Garba, 63, Nigerien singer^[30]
  • • December 10 Tshala Muana, 64, Congolese singer, "Queen of Mutuashi"^[31]
  • Aziouz Raïs, 68, Algerian chaabi singer.^[32]
• December 12  - Ekambi Brillant, 74, Cameroonian makossa singer^[33]

See also

• 2022 in music

Notes and References

1. Web site: Angelique Kidjo Beats Wizkid to Win Grammy Best World Music Album 2022. Mandy News.
2. News: Shaw . Lucas . A Nigerian Singer Released the Biggest Hit in African History . en . Bloomberg.com . 2023-01-23.
3. Web site: Stonebwoy displeased with reactions to meeting with Kendrick Lamar. May 17, 2022. myjoyonline. June 10, 2022.
4. Web site: Thembi Seete and JR join Somizi as ‘Idols SA season 18’ judges. 16 February 2022. 16 February 2022. Mphande. Joy. TimesLIVE.
5. Web site: 2022-08-06 . Diamond tells Raila Odinga: You are the next President . 2022-08-07 . The Citizen . en.
6. News: Headies 2022: Full list of nominees - The Nation Newspaper. The Nation Newspaper. 2022-05-24. Fasanmi . Abiola . 2012-05-26.
7. Web site: Tanjazz festival to return in September, following two year hiatus. Hespress. 2 March 2023.
8. Web site: New Music Friday: Nomfundo Moh makes her soulful debut [listen] ]. 2022-01-28. 2022-03-02. Naledi. De Wee. The South African.
9. Web site: Obongjayar Announces Debut Album Some Nights I Dream of Doors, Shares New Song "Try" . Pitchfork . February 3, 2022 . February 3, 2022 . Corcoran, Nina.
10. Web site: Gigi Lamayne drops long-awaited album ‘Set in Stone’ Hype Magazine. Hype Magazine. 2022-06-04. 2022-05-20.
11. Web site: Top African Music albums of 2022. RYM. 19 September 2022.
12. News: July 8, 2022 . Burna Boy Pushes Afro-Fusion Pop Into the Future With Love, Damini . Variety . July 9, 2022.
13. Web site: Amerado's G.I.N.A album makes a case for Afrorap . Morebranches . October 26, 2022 . November 14, 2022.
14. Web site: Gordon Koang Announces New Album Community and Shares Lead Single. Music Feeds. 21 September 2022. 22 September 2022.
15. Web site: Tambay Obenson. ‘Neptune Frost’: Saul Williams Confronts Status Quo with East African Cyber Musical. IndieWire. July 17, 2021.
16. News: Ribouis. Olivier. 16 February 2022. Vivi l'Internationale est décédée. French. Banouto. 17 February 2022.
17. Web site: 23 February 2022. Shock as Riky Rick takes his own life. 23 February 2022. Sunday World. en-ZA.
18. Web site: Mira Calix Has Died. 28 March 2022. Clash Magazine.
19. Web site: Nseyen . Nsikak . 10 April 2022 . Osinachi: Family reveals cause of death of Ekwueme singer, husband's whereabouts . 11 April 2022 . . en-US.
20. Web site: Veteran Saxophonist, Orlando Julius dies at 79. 15 April 2022. Premium Times. 15 April 2022.
21. Web site: Award-winning gospel singer Deborah Fraser dies . SowetanLIVE. 2022-05-15. Patience . Bambalele . 2022-05-15.
22. Web site: Osayomore Joseph, One Of Nigeria’s Music Legends Is Dead . independent.ng. en. 12 June 2022.
23. News: 12 June 2022. Popular Tigrigna singer Dawit Nega has died . en-US . 14 June 2022.
24. Web site: Юртова . Кристина . Умер Пьер Нарцисс StarHit.ru . 2022-09-07 . www.starhit.ru . ru.
25. Web site: Legendary Kwaito musician and TKZee member Tokollo ‘Magesh’ dies. 15 August 2022. Mduduzi Nonyane. City Press.
26. News: Great Somali poet Hadrawi passed away in Hargeisa . Somali Times. 18 August 2022 . 18 August 2022.
27. Web site: Music legend Dennis East has died. September 12, 2022. Jacaranda FM. September 19, 2022.
28. Web site: Legendary Ethiopian Artist Ali Birra Passed Away . 6 November 2022 . 6 November 2022.
29. Web site: Ella . Chioma . November 25, 2022 . Gospel Singer, Sammie Okposo reportedly dies at 51 . Kemifilani.
30. Web site: Décès de Hamsou Garba, une des figures de la culture nigérienne. 5 December 2022. Agence Nigerien de Presse. December 10, 2022. fr.
31. Web site: Redaction . Mbote . December 10, 2022 . Décès de la chanteuse Tshala Muana . December 10, 2022 . Mbote.
32. News: L.. Farid. 11 December 2022. Culture – Algérie : décès du chanteur de chaabi, Aziouz Raïs. French. Algérie 360. 11 December 2022.
33. News: Nécrologie: décès du musicien Ekambi Brillant . 13 December 2022 . Actu Cameroun . 12 December 2022.