By Siphesihle Dlamini
It is hard to believe that five years have passed since the first edition of The Epic Gig in Eswatini. The event has grown in popularity ever since it started.
This year’s celebration promises to be the biggest and the best. From its inception, The Epic Gig has always been a two-day youth-orientated event.
It is one event in the kingdom where people could expect to see the hottest acts locals and internationally fire up the stage, not forgetting that the Epic gig is the third most loved festival countrywide.
2024 and in alignment with becoming bigger and better the event will be a two-day festival with over 50 acts to look out for including the South African artists, local artists and the Freshmen which consists of local acts.
This year’s event will be held at Malkerns Country Club.
There are 15 South African artists including:
Aubrey Qwana
Aubrey Qwana is a South African singer and songwriter who has taken the music industry by storm with soulful voice and emotive lyrics.
Born and raised in Kwazulu-Natal, Aubrey discovered his passion for music at a young age and began singing in the local church choir.
After years of honing their craft, Aubrey released his debut single ‘Ngaqonywa’ in 2019, since then he has continued to release hit after hit, collaborating with some biggest names in South African music and performing in festivals.
Kwesta
Kwesta whose real name is Senzo Mfundo Vilakazi, is a South African hip-hop artist who has made a significant impact on the local music scene. Born on August 11,1988, in Katlehong, a township in the East Rand of Johannesburg, Kwesta’s passion for music was identified at a young age.
Maglera Doe Boi
Tokelo Moyakhe is a South African rapper and songwriter known professionally as Maglera Doe Boy. He came to prominence after the release of “Never Ride” by MashBeatz after the single went viral on a video sharing platform TikTok.
Buffalo Souljah
Born Thabani Ndlovu, is a Zimbabwean dancehall artist known for his energetic performances and unique fusion of reggae and hip-hop influences. Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Buffalo Souljah discovered his passion for music at a young age and began performing in local talent shows and events.
Eemoh
Eemoh is a talented and versatile artist who has made a name for himself in the music industry. He was born in a small town, where he developed a passion for music at a young age. He has released several successful singles and collaborations.
Mickey M
Mickey M is a South African artist who has quickly made a name for himself in the music industry. Born and raised in Johannesburg, Mickey M discovered his love for music at a young age and started writing songs and performing in local talent shows. With a unique blend of rap, hip-hop, and African influences, Mickey’s music stands out for its catchy beats, clever wordplay, and powerful storytelling.
Pearl Thusi
Pearl Thusi, born Sithembile Xola Pearl Thusi, in May 1988, is a renowned South African actress, model and television presenter. She was born in Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-Natal and grew up in Durban. Pearl started her career in the entertainment industry as a model. With a passion for acting, Pearl Thusi transitioned to television and film in the early 2000s.
Imacsoul
Imacsoul is a talented and rising artist in the South African music scene, known for his unique blend of soulful melodies and introspective lyrics. Born and raised in Johannesburg. Imacsoul discovered his passion at a young age and began honing his skills as a singer and songwriter.
Shake & Les
This is a talented and innovative pair that has been making waves in the music industry with their unique blend of genres and distinctive style. Shake & Les is a dynamic and talented music group hailing from South Africa.
This group was formed by a group of friends who shared a love for music and a passion for creating unique sounds. With a string of successful singles and collaborations under their bet, Shake & Les is on a mission to spread their music far and wide and make a lasting impact on the music industry.
Emtee
Emtee whose real name is Mthembeni Ndevu, is a highly acclaimed South African rapper, singer and songwriter. Born on September 15, 1992, in Matatiele, Eastern Cape. Emtee rose to fame with his breakout hit single ‘’Roll Up’’ in 2015, which quickly became a chart-topper and cemented his status as a rising star in the South African music industry.
ALSO READ: Mordä cancels Epic Gig performance, replaced by Kwesta
Local Artists
M Nation
M Nation is an upcoming artist that blends elements of hip-hop, R&B, and traditional Swazi music. Born and raised in the bustling city of Manzini, Mnation was exposed to a myriad of musical influences from a young age, sparking his passion for creating music.
Cnatra
Cnatra’ born Simanga Thwala, was raised in Eswatini, in Ngwane Park, Manzini. He is blessed with creative songwriting skills, rapping skills and singing skills.
His sound revolves around chords and melodies for different genres.
However, his focus is on Hip Hop and Amapiano. In 2019 he met a producer by the name of Thez who influenced him into RnB and the Trap Soul genre. They have unreleased music together.
Fisiwe
Fisiwe Neliswa Mnisi born November 15, 2003, is a local multi-talented Amapiano and Afro Soul artist. The 19-year-old’s voice has been described as having a unique tone and range which allows her to sing different styles from Afro Soul to pop to classical.
Fisiwe began singing at an early age, using songwriting as an outlet she went on and joined the church choir where she sharpened her talent as a lyricist and performer.
Mayeem
Mayeem is a talented and promising artist hailing from the Kingdom of Eswatini. With a blend of hip-hop, R&B and Afro-pop. Mayeem, born and raised in Eswatini’s vibrant capital city Mbabane.
School Boi cue
Born Sandziso Dlamini, Skull Boi Cue is a 23-year-old, Eswatini-born dancer and DJ. He started as a dancer in the year 2008 at the age of eight, a Lobamba School of Dance graduate but evolved into a DJ in the year 2022 during the dreaded Covid -19 period that gave him invaluable time to horn his craft using the Virtual DJ software and his Traktorcontroller which sped up the learning process and his command of the DJ equipment. With the aid of the spectacular DJ Fantacy, he has mastered the art of CDJs and the ability to play around with vocals and other instrumentals.
Blaq Pearl
She is a talented and dynamic artist from the kingdom of Eswatini. Her music is a fusion of Afro-Soul, R&B, and traditional Swazi sounds, creating a unique and captivating style that sets her apart in the music scene.
DJ Toxik
DJ Toxik is a dynamic DJ from Eswatini who has been making waves in the local music scene with his electrifying performances and unique style.
Trend Twins
The Trend Twins were born and raised in Eswatini, a small kingdom. The twins were exposed to various genres of music from a young age. Their passion for music led them to pursue a career in the entertainment industry, specifically as DJs.
The Epic Gig has always been notorious for grooming talent and allowing young and upcoming artists to showcase their work on the stage during the festival which brings us to the Freshmen. The Freshman Stage is where new artists and DJs in Eswatini are featured. It’s where they can showcase fresh talent and provide an opportunity to display what they have to offer on their very own platform. The festival focuses on Hip Hop and Amapiano artists as per the consistent music focus of The Epic Gig as a brand.
Read more: Shakes & Les ready to shake up the Epic Gig
Tickets to The Epic Gig Episode V are flying off the shelves. The event, which will take place at Malkerns Country Clubare selling out fast. Fans must keep in mind that the single day tickets which will cost E350 will only be sold at the gate during the festival, but the VIP and full festival tickets will not be sold at the gate. This E350.00 ticket allows patrons entry into the general section of the venue, and they are for one day.
This year the festival’s theme this year is “It’s OK to Be Different” which allowed the ambassadors chosen this year to make up a very diverse group of boys and girls. The concept IT’S OK TO BE DIFFERENT is The Epic Gig’s – Episode V call to action that embraces the differences of the individual in a unique style. The youth in our modern society want to fit in with standards raised by social media and their peers and if they fall short or don’t fit in, they get depressed and end up abusing alcohol and drugs. We want to raise awareness and deliver this message of acceptance, understanding, and conscience individually to our youth and create a society where everyone belongs and embraces everyone’s unique individuality and difference.
The Epic Gig has guests and participants to heed this call by applying their skills, talents and resources to various festival projects and initiatives.
This commitment towards uniting organizations and creative activists to effect meaningful, sustainable and inclusive change will result in a drop in depression and substance abuse.
