Sho Madjozi

Bio

Sho Madjozi, born Maya Christinah Xichavo Wegerif in Shirley Village, Elim, Limpopo, made Tsonga culture the engine of a pop career: rapping in Xitsonga, dancing xibelani in traditional tinguvu skirts, wearing braids she frames as Afrofuturist. She studied creative writing and African studies at Mount Holyoke College in the United States, wrote poetry as MayaThePoet, and entered music through collaborations with Okmalumkoolkat before launching her gqom-driven solo run in 2016.

Her debut album Limpopo Champions League (December 2018) yielded the platinum Huku and the gold Wakanda Forever; 2019 brought a SAMA for Newcomer of the Year, the BET Award for Best New International Act, and the viral John Cena, first performed on the COLORS platform. A Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award followed in 2020. She has announced Limpopo Champions League Vol. 2 as her final album, shifting her energy to film, children's books and her hair brand Sparkle.

Verified facts

• Won the BET Award for Best New International Act in 2019.Wikipedia
• Won the South African Music Award for Newcomer of the Year in 2019, following her debut album Limpopo Champions League (December 2018).Wikipedia
• Her single 'Huku' (2018) was certified platinum and 'Wakanda Forever' (2018) certified gold in South Africa; 'John Cena' (2019) became a viral hit.Wikipedia
• Announced Limpopo Champions League Vol. 2 as her final album, citing industry pressure, with plans to move into film, children's books and her hair brand Sparkle.Bona Magazine
• Named to Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 in 2019 and won a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award (Favorite Star: Africa) in 2020.Wikipedia
• Born Maya Christinah Xichavo Wegerif; studied creative writing and African studies at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and wrote poetry under the pen name MayaThePoet before making music.Wikipedia
• Entered music through collaborations with Okmalumkoolkat, and performs the xibelani dance in traditional tinguvu skirts while rapping in Xitsonga.Wikipedia
• John Cena went viral after her August 2019 performance of the song on the COLORS platform drew two million views.Wikipedia

Notable work

• Limpopo Champions League (2018)
• John Cena (2019)
• Huku (2018)
• What a Life (mixtape, 2020)
• Wakanda Forever (2018)

Categories

Music & Links