Simphiwe Dana

Already by age 29, she has followed in the footsteps of Miriam Makeba, says the media in South Africa. Born in Transkei, she was musically schooled in a church and did the tour of small clubs in Johannesburg. Simphiwe Dana calls her music a mix of traditional Xhosa music and Afropop, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Gospel and Soul with Modern African Soul.

Her songs, all of which she writes herself, talk about the daily life of ordinary people. Her hit albums have reached platinum status in South Africa, and she has toured extensively throughout Western Europe. She was described by the "German Financial Times" as "a musical stroke of luck." And for his 83rd birthday, she gave Nelson Mandela the gift of her expressive voice.