# 2019 in African music

The following is a list of events and releases that have happened or are expected to happen in 2019 in African music.

## Events

* 9 January - Nigerian singers Simi and Adekunle Gold marry in a private ceremony.
* 15 April
** Winners of the AfriMusic Song Contest 2019 are announced:
*** Best English Lyrics: Siboat (Ghana) – "Always and Forever"
*** Best French Lyrics: Joahn Lover (Cameroon) – "Game Over"
*** Best African Language Song: Nonzwakazi (South Africa) – "Phakama Mbokodo"
** Abdullah Ibrahim is one of four recipients of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships celebrated in a concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
* 3 May - Naira Marley is arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Nigeria.
* 24 June - Burna Boy wins "Best International Act" at the BET Awards 2019.
* 18 September - After rumours of the death of Majek Fashek are dispelled by his manager, who confirms that Fashek has esophageal cancer and has been hospitalized at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, London, UK, philanthropist Femi Otedola pledges to cover all the singer's medical expenses. Fashek would die the following summer.
* 19 October - Nigerian singer Teni wins the "Best Pop Single" award at The Headies 2019, for "Case".
* 23 November - Joeboy wins the "Best Artiste in African Pop" award at the All Africa Music Awards.
* 3 December - Kabza De Small is named by Spotify as the most-streamed South African artist of 2019.

## Albums released in 2019

| Release date | Artist | Album | Genre | Label |
| January 15 | Falz | Moral Instruction | Hip-hop, Afrobeats | Bahd Guys Records |
| January 31 | Sauti Sol | Afrikan Sauce | Afro-pop, R&B | Sauti Sol Entertainment |
| April 5 | Sarahmée | Irréversible | Rap, Afropop | Ste=4 Musique |
| April 19 | Simi | Omo Charlie Champagne, Vol. 1 | Afro-fusion, Afro-soul, R&B | X3M Music |
| May 3 | Myrath | Shehili | Progressive metal, oriental metal, Arabic music | earMUSIC |
| May 24 | Patoranking | Wilmer | Reggae, dancehall | Amari Musiq, Empire |
| July 26 | Burna Boy | African Giant | Afro-fusion, Afrobeat, dancehall, pop, hip hop | Spaceship, Bad Habit, Atlantic, Warner Music |
| July 26 | Hope Masike | The Exorcism of a Spinster | Afro-pop, Jazz | Riverboat Records/ World Music Network |
| August 5 | A.A.A | A.A.A (EP) | Folk, psychedelic rock | Indie |
| August 23 | Jidenna | 85 to Africa | Afrobeats, hip hop | Epic |
| August 30 | Yemi Alade | Woman of Steel | Afrobeats, R&B, highlife | Effyzzie Music Group, Universal |
| September 4 | Phyno | Deal with It | Hip-hop, Igbo rap | Penthauze |
| October 1 | Invisible System | Dance to the Full Moon | Traditional, blues, electronic, fusion | ARC Music |
| October 11 | Aṣa | Lucid | Soul, folk, jazz | Chapter Two Records, Wagram Music |
| November 1 | Zlatan | Zanku | Afrobeats | Indie |
| November 8 | Ycee | Ycee vs Zaheer | Hip-hop, trap, Afrobeats, Afro-house, R&B, alte | ANBT, Mad Solutions |
| November 22 | Davido | A Good Time | Afropop | DMW; RCA; Sony |
| November 29 | DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small | The Return of Scorpion Kings | amapiano | Sony Music, Piano Hub & New Money Gang |
| November 29 | Fireboy DML | Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps | Afro-Life, R&B | YBNL Nation |
| December 6 | Starboy | Soundman Vol. 1 (EP) | Afrobeats, reggae, R&B | Starboy Entertainment |
| December 13 | Staff Benda Bilili | Effacer Le Tableau | Soukous, R&B, reggae | Wagram |

## Classical

* Robert Fokkens - Duo for violin and cello
* Clare Loveday - What Gives for violin and piano

## Musical films and film music

* Atlantics, with score by Fatima Al Qadiri

## Births

* October 2 - Diamond Platnumz and his partner Tanasha Donna have their first child, Naseeb Jr.

## Deaths

* January 5 - Dan Tshanda, 54, South African singer and guitarist of Splash; (heart attack)
* January 7 - John Joubert, 91, South African-born composer
* January 23 – Oliver Mtukudzi, 66, Zimbabwe musician
* February 8 - Sali Sidibé [es], 59, Malian composer and singer
* March 13 - Joseph Hanson Kwabena Nketia, 97, Ghanaian ethnomusicologist and composer
* March 30 – Simaro Lutumba, 81, Congolese musician (TPOK Jazz)
* June 2 – Piet Botha, 63, South African rock musician (pancreatic cancer)
* July 16 - Johnny Clegg, 66, South African musician (pancreatic cancer)
* August 5 – Jimi Hope, 62, Togolese musician and painter.
* August 12 – DJ Arafat, 33, Ivorian disc jockey and musician, traffic collision.
* October 4 – Elias Melka, 41, Ethiopian record producer and songwriter
* November 9 – Taiwo Lijadu, 71, Nigerian singer (Lijadu Sisters)
* December 3 – Shaaban Abdel Rahim, 62, Egyptian shaabi singer