Babes Wodumo

Singer and choreographer Babes Wodumo is one of the first true celebrities to emerge from Durban, South Africa’s gqom scene, and has drawn international attention to the style. Her sweet yet commanding vocals add a more accessible edge to gqom’s tense, hypnotic sound, which resembles a more stripped-down, polyrhythmic variation on the more house-derived style known as kwaito. She broke through with the 2016 single “Wololo,” included on her debut album, Gqom Queen, Vol. 1, and was nominated for numerous awards. This led to an appearance on the Black Panther soundtrack (2018) and a collaboration with Major Lazer, furthering her global reach. While Wodumo’s personal life often seems to garner more attention than her music, she has continued issuing music and collaborating with South African artists, remaining a strong presence in the entertainment world. Born in Durban in 1994, Bongekile Simelane was nicknamed Babes by her father, and additionally referred to as Wodumo as a child. Interested in modeling, athletics, and acting from an early age, she took up singing and dancing during the early 2010s, and later founded the West Ink Dance Academy, geared towards keeping troubled youth off the streets and engaging them with the arts. She launched her musical career with the 2016 single “Wololo.” Appearing on her full-length Gqom Queen, Vol. 1, which was produced by her manager and boyfriend Mampintsha, the track was a major hit throughout the country. This led to several nominations for Wodumo, from regional ceremonies such as the South African Music Awards to the 2017 BET Awards, where she was nominated for Best International Act: Africa. In 2018, she appeared on the Black Panther soundtrack, collaborating with Zacari on the song “Redemption,” and guested on Major Lazer’s song “Orkant/Balance Pon It,” which also featured Taranchyla. Subsequent singles include “Umphabazo” (2018) and “Otshwaleni” (2019). Wodumo’s second album, Idando Kazi, arrived in July of 2020. ~ Paul Simpson