2018 in African music

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			[16]
May 14	Ike Moriz	Millennium Hits 2002 - 2018	Pop, Rock, Jazz	Mosquito Records London	[17]
May 25	DJ Neptune	Greatness	Afrobeats, hip-hop	Neptune Records	[18]
	Adekunle Gold	About 30	World, highlife	Afro Urban Records, Empire	[19]
June 15	Zonke	L.O.V.E	Afro-soul	Sony	[20]
August 24	M.I Abaga	A Study On Self Worth: Yxng Dxnzl	Hip-hop	Chocolate City	[21]
September 11	Steve Kekana	Ubuntu	Sold Out Music
October 19	Razia	The Road	Razia Said Music		[22]
November 9	Mr Eazi	Life Is Eazi, Vol. 2 - Lagos to London	Afrobeats	Banku Music	[23]
November 16	Mayorkun	The Mayor of Lagos	Afropop	Davido Music Worldwide	[24]

Classical

• Michael Blake – Lovedale Harmony (in memory of Siya Betana) (2017) for saxophone quartet ^[25]

Deaths

• January 3 – Lara Kruger, 30, South African DJ (Motsweding FM) and transgender rights activist ^[26]
• January 4 – Joseph Gunduza Magigwani, 37, Zimbabwean actor and gospel singer (traffic collision) ^[27]
• January 23 – Hugh Masekela, 78, South African jazz instrumentalist, composer and singer ^[28]
• February 1 – Mowzey Radio, 33, Ugandan musician (head injuries from a fight) ^[29]
• February 8 - Ebony Reigns, 20, Ghanaian singer (traffic collision) ^[30]
• March 19 – Shavey, Kenyan dancehall singer (traffic collision) ^[31]
• April 2 – Ahmed Janka Nabay, Sierra Leonean musician, 54 ^[32]
• May 20 – N'Goran La Loi, Ivorian accordionist, husband and partner of Allah Thérèse, 87 ^[16]
• 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

References

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