- Khuzani Mpungose’s pioneering performance of maskandi at Mahindra Fusion Fest took the genre to new audiences.
- Last year, Mpungose also became the first maskandi artist to be nominated for a HAPAward in the US, which he won.
- He looks forward to realising his dream of taking maskandi across Africa as he’s been invited to perform at festivals in Ghana, Lesotho and Eswatini.
- For more news, click HERE.
Just four months after making history as the first maskandi artist to win Best Independent Artist (African) at the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards (HAPAwards) in the US, Khuzani Mpungose has done it again.
READ: Khuzani makes history as he wins HAPAwards
Last weekend, the trailblazer elevated his genre at the Mahindra Fusion Fest at the SunBet Arena, Pretoria; an unusual occurrence as maskandi artists seldom get invited to mainstream festivals of this kind.
From maskandi concerts to mainstream music events
Unless it’s a major awards ceremony, such as the Metro FM Music Awards or the SA Music Awards, these artists mostly perform at maskandi-only concerts. They are hardly recognised by platforms that celebrate other music genres.
Mpungose said that before becoming a countrywide favourite, maskandi’s loyal and passionate audience was mostly in KwaZulu-Natal and rural communities.
Maskandi has often been placed in a separate space from what people call “mainstream” music events.
Moments like this are important for the growth of maskandi because platforms like the Mahindra Fusion Fest are an opportunity to show audiences who may not normally attend a maskandi concert what this music truly represents.
— Khuzani Mpungose
“When you bring maskandi into spaces where there are hip-hop artists, Afro-pop artists, DJs and bands, you allow people to experience that richness in a new way.”
The multi-award-winning artist believes that maskandi deserves the same spotlight being enjoyed by other local genres, as it forms part of the same musical heritage.
He hopes that his Mahindra performance opens promoters’ eyes to the value of including maskandi in mixed-genre events, as exposing the genre to a wider audience can only mean growth.
A collective win
In recent years, there’s been a conscious effort by maskandi artists to modernise the genre by investing in better production, stronger stage performances and broader collaborations.
Mpungose is proud of how his peers have been able to make these strides without losing the fabric of the genre.
People today are searching for authenticity. In a world where music can sometimes feel repetitive, Maskandi offers something different. It carries history, identity and storytelling.
— Khuzani Mpungose
“When listeners hear that honesty, they connect with it. If more platforms can recognise maskandi’s cultural influence, the industry begins to acknowledge that impact. This naturally creates more respect for the genre,” he said.
Despite being a pioneer in more ways than one, Mpungose remains grounded in humility because of his awareness of the history that the genre cultivated long before his own career was launched.
He describes the formula for his success as a marriage between consistency and vision, sharing with the publication that his career is rooted in freeing maskandi from being confined to traditional spaces, as it belongs in broader music conversations.
Being recognised by platforms that traditionally did not focus on Maskandi shows that the industry is evolving. It proves that when artists continue to push boundaries while respecting their roots, the music can travel further than people once imagined.
— Khuzani Mpungose
For Mpungose, these achievements are not personal titles, but are evidence that Maskandi is evolving into something greater.
In a previous interview, Mpungose said his dream is to see maskandi transcend to the wider African cultural conversation, across South Africa’s borders.
The musician now reveals that he is currently in a cultural exchange conversation with festivals in Ghana, Lesotho and Eswatini.
He believes that storytelling, rhythm and community identity are in the DNA of African music regardless of the country it originates from.
When maskandi artists connect with the traditional sounds of other African regions, this further affirms humanity’s interconnectedness and presents an opportunity to unify the celebration of heritage.
READ: Spotify numbers affirm Maskandi’s growing popularity
“Fans from different countries are discovering maskandi online, and they are curious about the sound and the culture behind it.
When invitations come from festivals in other African countries, it shows that there is a growing interest in experiencing this music live.
— Khuzani Mpungose
Performing on stages outside Mzansi is a step closer to seeing maskandi take its place as one of Africa’s powerful artistic expressions.
For Mpungose, this is a dream come true, and he looks forward to witnessing his genre resonating with people across the continent.
