Black Coffee
Black Coffee is a South African DJ, music producer and modern day renaissance man who has become one of the most prominent figures in global electronic music. Born Nkosinathi Maphumulo in Umlazi in Kwa-Zulu Natal, he began his career in music in the mid-1990s as a DJ and producer in South Africa. It wasn’t until 2003, however, that he released his debut album, a self-titled project that showcased his deep, soulful take on house music to the world.
Over the next several years, Black Coffee continued to build his reputation as one of South Africa’s most innovative and respected DJs, earning an intensely loyal following for his intricate, percussive sound and a commitment to showcasing the best of the country’s diverse musical traditions and rising talent. He further released a series of highly acclaimed albums including “Have Another One” (2007), “Home Brewed” (2009), “Africa Rising” (2012), “Pieces of Me” (2015) and “Subconsciously” (2021).
Black Coffee’s imaginative staging of his “Africa Rising” longplayer broke boundaries as he marked the elevation of homegrown South African house music into a world class entertainment experience with a debut performance at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban featuring a live 24 piece orchestra of full percussion and live keys, alongside appearances by Bucie, Zakes Bantwini, Victor Ntoni, Black Moses and Brothers of Peace.
Since his early years, Black Coffee has stood out for his deep-rooted knowledge of music and a natural ability for blending house with soul, alternative African percussions, organic-sounding electronics, jazz elements and vocals. The music of Africa, in all its wide-spanning and complex history, finds its roots in drums. Keeping this in mind, it’s no surprise that percussion drives this South African artist’s sound, a distinctly metropolitan techno with heavy traditional influences dubbed by some as “Afropolitan House.”
In 2015, Black Coffee started to really make a name for himself on the international stage, with high-profile appearances at major festivals like Ultra Miami, Tomorrowland and Coachella. Within a matter of years he has become one of the top touring performers in the world, maintaining a now 5-season running, 21-week residency at Ibiza’s premier clubbing destination, Hi Ibiza whilst simultaneously commanding standout performances too numerous to mention at clubs, events and festivals across five continents and 82 countries each year.
Unsurprisingly, Black Coffee also succeeded in firmly ratifying his unmistakable production prowess and has continuously shattered boundaries, most consequentially with his remix for the inimitable Alicia Keys, a collaboration with international superstar, Drake as well as landing an Executive Producer credit on Drake’s recent “Honestly Nevermind” LP not to mention Black Coffee’s 2022 Grammy win for “Best Dance/Electronic Album” in respect of his 6th studio album “Subconsciously” which featured the likes of Pharrell Williams, Usher, Diplo, RyX, David Guetta and more.
A stalwart philanthropist since the early days, Black Coffee exhibits an unyielding commitment to harnessing and re-investing the abundance he’s been blessed with by giving back to his community via his self titled, non-profit organisation, the Black Coffee Foundation. The charitable entity focuses on raising funds and providing ongoing aid, upliftment and opportunity to the destitute and disabled people of South Africa.
Black Coffee exhibits equal, relentless fervour in pursuit of the many and diverse passion projects he has outside of music; from the self owned, angel investment entity FlightMode Digital at the forefront of championing entrepreneurship in Africa and the ever-expanding, innovative retail fashion concept YAWA to his award winning, debut foray into interior design in collaboration with Tristan Du Plessis for Johannesburg’s Hallmark House not to mention a vociferous obsession with building on an already prodigious, contemporary art collection.
Despite achieving phenomenal global success and irrefutable creative acclaim, Black Coffee remains curiously grounded, humble and dedicated to his craft, constantly pushing the limits of his sound and seeking out new ways to connect with his audiences. With a new album in the works and an already packed touring schedule in place for 2023, it’s clear that from family to community, to clan, to culture, to country, to the world; we continue to be inexorably blessed with the limitless talent and productivity of such a creative genius, as Black Coffee.