Unsigned acts gear up to battle at AfroPunk’s Battle of the Bands

AfroPunk’s Battle of the Bands competition is renowned for unearthing incredible musical talent and for the third time in a row the competition returns to Joburg giving budding musicians and unsigned acts a chance to showcase their skills for an opportunity to perform at the main AfroPunk Festival in December.

 “One of the first things that stand out for AfroPunk is that this year we’re doing it at an AfroPunk-owned space in Braamfontein. We’re going to be hosting one final instead of rounds and different legs like we did in the previous years,” said AfroPunk’s Thembela Ngayi.

The competition, now in its third instalment, has unearthed incredible musicians such as 2018 winners Red Robyn and Ikati Esengxoweni along with Automatic Live and Stiff Pap who won the competition in 2017. Switching things up, this year the competition will have a voting process online which culminates into performances by the finalists at AfroPunk’s Braamfontein headquarters.

READ: Afropunk elevates South African artists onto global stage

The competition is not genre specific and in order to qualify, interested bands need to be independent and have composed original music. Entries for local bands to enter the competition opened online on 30 September, where they can submit their music.

The Battle of the Bands competition has launched various careers across the world, with acts using the platform as a stepping stone to realising their dreams of becoming world-class performing artists.

READ: Top SA acts to shine at AfroPunk Joburg 2019

“We’ve been progressing each year and hitting different milestones each year. We’ve performed at more festivals and performed for larger audiences and gotten to reach parts of the country I never thought we’d reach so early. We’ve really grown and our live performances have gotten much better because Battle of the Bands really puts your live performance to test,” said Stiff Pap’s Jakinda.

This year’s winning band will be awarded a distribution deal with Africa’s premier artist development hub, Africori. AfroPunk and Africori will also host a two-day seminar for the Battle of the Bands finalists prior to their shows, to help all finalists with tools they need to take their careers to the next level.

“Another thing that’s exciting about Battle of the Bands is that it’s not a distribution deal and it’s not also just about winning. It is an opportunity to get firsthand artist development and experience,” Thembela said.

READ: Afropunk Joburg rings in the New Year

The Finalists for the AfroPunk Battle of the Bands 2019 competition are Raspy, Muneyi, Yanga Yaya and Shameless. The unsigned talents made it through the public-voted round and are set to battle it out on 30 November at AfroPunk’s Braamfontein headquarters.

Beyond the constellation of largescale live-music events, AfroPunk is a worldwide community that is the engine of the global black experience, creating space and value for the intersections, embracing the plurality of stories and individualities across borders and continents. AfroPunk Joburg takes place at Constitution Hill on 30 and 31 December, under the theme ‘We See You’, a message that brings together AfroPunk’s ideology and the people who support it.

This year’s line-up includes international sensations, Solange, Miguel, Masego, Goldlink, Nao and homegrown talents, Sho Madjozi, Busiswa, Distruction Boyz, Zoe Modiga, Darkie Fiction, Morena Leraba and Umlilo. Details: www.AfroPunk.com