The Voice of Africa (Kelly Khumalo album)

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The Voice of Africa
Studio album by
Released9 October 2020 (2020-10-09)
GenreAfro Pop
LabelUniversal Music
Producer
  • Mondli Ngcobo
  • Asanda Mvana
  • Nduduzo Makhathini
  • Hubert Batundi Muisha
Kelly Khumalo chronology
Unleashed
(2018)
The Voice of Africa
(2020)
From A God To A King
(2023)
Singles from The Voice of Africa
  1. "Empini"
    Released: 19 June 2020
  2. "Undithatha Kancinci"
  3. "Esiphambanweni"
    Released: 11 September 2021

The Voice of Africa is the ninth studio album by South African singer Kelly Khumalo.[1] It was released on October 9, 2020, by Universal Music.[2] It was produced by Mondli Ngcobo.

The album was certified gold in South Africa.

Background[edit]

On February 13, 2020, Kelly announced that she had started recording her ninth studio album on her Instagram account.[3]

Singles[edit]

"Empini" was released as album's lead single on June 19, 2020, as well as accompanying music video.[4] The song peaked number one on South Africa Afro Pop Music charts.[5]

"Esiphambanweni" featuring Hlengiwe Mhlaba was released on September 11, 2021, as the third single,[6] peaked number one on South Africa Gospel charts.[7]

Commercial performance[edit]

The Voice of Africa (TVOA) was certified gold in South Africa on May 20, 2021.[8]

The album tracks "Empini" 4× platinum, "Esiphambanweni" 2× platinum, and "Ngathwala Ngaye" certified platinum.[9]

Track listing[edit]

Standard Edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Nok'khanya" 6:50
2."Kuyenyukela" 6:34
3."Empini" 4:49
4."Loshona Nini" 3:47
5."Undithatha Kancinci"Asanda Mvana4:22
6."Ngathwala Ngaye" (featuring Mondli Ngcobo) 4:28
7."Awazi Lutho" 4:31
8."Esphambanweni" (featuring Hlengiwe Mhlaba) 6:23
Total length:42:00

Accolades[edit]

The Voice of Africa was nominated for Best Afro Pop Album at the 27th South African Music Awards.[10]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2021 The Voice of Africa Best Afro Pop Album Nominated

Personnel[edit]

Credits for The Voice of Africa are adapted from AllMusic.[11]

  • Asanda Mvana - composer, producer
  • Kelly Khumalo - vocals, composer
  • Nduduzo Makhathini - producer
  • Mondli Ngcobo - composer, producer
  • Hubert Batundi Muisha - producer

The Voice of Africa (Live)[edit]

The Voice of Africa
Live album by
ReleasedNovember 12, 2021 (2021-11-12)
VenueSter Kinekor, Rosebank
StudioUniversal Music
GenreAfro Pop[12]
Length51:00
ProducerMondli Ngcobo

The Voice of Africa is a live album by South African singer Kelly Khumalo.[12] It was recorded at Ster Kinekor, Rosebank in November 2021.[13]

The album incorporated elements of maskandi and traditional folk music, and gospel.[13]

Track listing[edit]

Live Edition
No.TitleLength
1."Nok'khanya"5:58
2."Undithatha Kancinci"3:32
3."Ngathwala Ngaye" (featuring Mondli Ngcobo)5:44
4."Kuyenyukela"5:58
5."Loshona Nini"4:24
6."Awazi Lutho"7:08
7."Esiphambanweni" (featuring Hlengiwe Mhlaba)9:04
8."Empini"9:20
Total length:51:00

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
South Africa (RISA)[14] Gold 10,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

List of release dates, showing region, formats, label, editions and reference
Region Date Format(s) Label Edition(s) Ref.
South Africa 9 October 2020
  • CD
  • digital download
Universal Music Standard [15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Kelly Khumalo Releases New Album - Ekurhuleni News". Ekurhuleni News. October 14, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  2. ^ "Kelly Khumalo Releases Another Hit Album TVOA! - Mgosi". Mgosi. October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  3. ^ Salawu, Wuraola (February 14, 2020). "Kelly Khumalo spends third consecutive day in studio working on upcoming album Ubetoo". Ubetoo. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  4. ^ "Kelly Khumalo on her new single and how she deals with tension". Sowetan LIVE. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  5. ^ "Kelly Khumalo enjoys number one song success — The Citizen". The Citizen. October 28, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  6. ^ F Kays (September 11, 2020). "Listen | Kelly Khumalo on new single and album, The Voice Of Africa". Celebs Now. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  7. ^ "Kelly Khumalo's 'Esphambanweni' hits the number 1 spot on 3 charts". Independent Online. November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  8. ^ Zwane, Nokuthula (May 20, 2022). "Kelly Khumalo celebrates her album going gold | Channel". South Africa: Channel. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  9. ^ Darangwa, Shingai (May 21, 2022). "WATCH: Kelly Khumalo awarded several gold and platinum plaques". Independent Online. Retrieved May 21, 2022.
  10. ^ Dayile, Qhama (July 31, 2021). "Here's the full list of the SAMA winners | Drum". South Africa: News24. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  11. ^ "The Voice of Africa - Kelly Khumalo | Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  12. ^ a b de Wee, Naledi (November 17, 2021). "Kelly Khumalo stuns with live version of 'The Voice of Africa' album [watch]". The South African. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Darangwa, Shingai (November 16, 2021). "Kelly Khumalo releases live version of her brilliant album, 'The Voice of Africa'". Independent Online. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
  14. ^ "South Africa certifications". Recording Industry of South Africa. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
  15. ^ "The Voice Of Africa by Kelly Khumalo on Apple Music". Apple Music. October 9, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.