SA’s DJ Black Coffee unstoppable with Alicia Keys remix
By Ano Shumba
01 Jul 2016 - 08:54
He's done it again! After becoming the first South African artist to win a BET Award in the USA, DJ Black Coffee has raised his international profile even further by releasing a remix of American star Alicia Keys’ hit ‘In Common’.
Making the announcement on his Instagram account the prolific artist thanked Alicia Keys and her husband Swizz Beatz for honoring South African music: “My soundtrack to Durban, such a great honor to be included in this remix package @aliciakeys @therealswizzz bringing South African sound to the World Mbaqanga Style.”
Black Coffee’s remix is released online on iTunes as part of an EP carrying four other remixes of the same song by international artists Lil Silva, Xpect and Kenny Dope. The EP is released through RCA records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment.
Black Coffee beat out AKA, Cassper Nyovest, Diamond Platnumz, MzVee, Serge Beynaud, Wizkid and Yemi Alade at the 2016 BET Awards in Los Angeles, USA to win the coveted Best International Act – Africa accolade.
The humble DJ was born Nkosinathi Maphumulo in Durban in 1976 and grew up in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. He majored in jazz studies at what was then known as Technikon Natal before working as a back-up singer with legendary guitarist Madala Kunene and as part of a group called Shana. It wasn’t until 2005 that he launched his solo career with a remix of Hugh Masekela‘s mammoth hit ‘Stimela’. Since then he has gone on to do greater things in music, forming his label Soulistic music, and winning numerous awards. In 2012, Black Coffee performed his music with a 24-piece classical orchestra and released a live DVD and CD, Africa Rising, that went on to achieve double platinum status in South Africa. He is currently mid-way through another gruelling world tour.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6KuhTsiLVI autoplay:0]
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