Celebs who clocked milestones this year

SHINGAI DARANGWA

There have been plenty of noteworthy milestones that are worth celebrating now that the entertainment industry is booming once again. We highlight three of them.

FOLLOWING the doom and gloom of the coronavirus pandemic, the entertainment industry looks to be booming once more.

While the local music genre amapiano, which actually gained steam throughout the pandemic, continues to be the shining star of the industry, film, television and comedy are also starting to gain a head of steam again thanks to the lifting of extremely limiting restrictions.

From Khanyi Mbau becoming the first African woman to be subjected to a Comedy Central Roast, to Major League DJz setting a world record for the longest DJ set by a duo, there have been plenty of noteworthy milestones that are worth celebrating.

We look at three that caught our eye:

Black Coffee wins a Grammy

South African DJ Black Coffee’s seventh studio record, “Subconsciously”, was designed for international acclaim. Its sound is fresh but formulaic, it carefully curates features from the likes of Pharrell Williams and local stars like Msaki, and it is palatable for global audiences.

Upon its release in 2021, many local fans decried its sound as being made for “white people”, something Black Coffee denied. Whatever it is, it worked.

And politics aside, “Subconsciously” is simply an exemplary piece of music, and it was duly recognised as such with a Grammy award for Best Dance/Electronic Album at this year’s awards.

This milestone was significant for many reasons. Speaking to IOL shortly after Black Coffee’s win, Bandile Mbere, one-half of amapiano duo Major League DJz, summed up one of them.

“I think for the past few years, before amapiano came in, South Africa’s been a country where they base a lot of stuff on artists and not DJs.

“They forgot how much DJs play a role in the music industry. So Black Coffee winning a Grammy in this day and age as a South African helps and shows that DJs play a big role in the music industry.”

Thuso Mbedu secures a lead role in “The Woman King”

Following her breakthrough role in last year’s “Underground Railroad”, Thuso Mbedu’s star has been rising steadily abroad.

The baby-faced South African actress recently took her star power to another level when she was cast for a starring role in “The Woman King”, a film about an all-female army of African warriors loosely based on a true historical episode.

“The Woman King” launched successfully in the US over the weekend as it topped the North American box office with an estimated take of $19 million (R386m).

Oscar-winner Viola Davis, who stars as the fierce general who leads an army known as the Agojie, spoke fondly of Mbedu last week, stating: “To me, Thuso is a translucent talent.

“Light comes through in every shade and that is how I see her emotional life come through with this character of Nawi.

“It is that immediacy. It’s that accessibility that only a few have. And I think it’s the building block of a very incredible actor.”

K.O’s record-breaking single, “Sete”

K.O’s “Sete” has been a sight to behold. Featuring superstar newcomers Blxckie and Young Stunna, the new single has come from nowhere to become the surprise hit of the year.

Within a week of release, “Sete” was already the most-played song on local radio, it had gone gold in record time and it had well and truly become a viral sensation on social media off the back of Young Stunna’s performance video-cum TikTok challenge.

The lead single off his new album “Skhanda Republic 3” sees K.O reimagine afrobeats with a hip hop twist to great effect.

The video’s release has only seen it get bigger and bigger. Since its release two weeks ago, the video’s been trending number one on YouTube and has already amassed over four million views.

Now officially certified platinum, “Sete” shows no signs of slowing down.

DJ Black Coffee.

K.O.