Tis The Reigning Season
I see myself making Reggae Music Fashionable – Reign Afrika
Reign Afrika bagged the Best Reggae Album 2022 Award at the South African Music Awards (SAMA) Ceremony held at Sun City on August 27, 2022 broadcast live on the national broadcaster, SABC1, and streamed live on social media platforms. She was in the league of highly determined and hard working contenders for the award; The multiple Award Winner and second time SAMA Nominee Ras Canly, 3 times SAMA nominee Botanists Mr. Lamington, First time Nominee representing Tswancehall Red I Scorch and her stable mate and partner, Skeleton Blazer who was also making a return to the SAMAs.
Reign Afrika laid claim to the title Queen of Reggae by being the first female artist to win the highly prominent title in the Reggae and Dancehall arena yet not so eminent in the mainstream. The title comes with responsibilities that Reign Afrika is well aware of and ready to carry.
“I see myself making reggae music fashionable and having it played on mainstream radio like other genres,” Reign Africa.
With the kind of exposure and publicity she is getting at present, her task seems to be halfway done. Her captivating looks, her sense of style, her humility and of course her talent: vocal prowess and songwriting, all neatly and smartly packaged in the brand Reign Afrika powered by her label FrontLines Production, Reign Afrika seem to be ready to Reign supreme this season.
The previous year she got three Nominations at the SAMA: Female Artist of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Best Reggae Album and had the most exposure and the publicity drive with interviews and national Magazine spreads. One of the leading and oldest magazines, DRUM ran with the headline: Rising Star Reign Africa nominated among big SA stars at the SAMAs. A true assessment of the state of affairs that the young Reign Afrika now found herself in. The Female Artist of the year category has heavyweights of the industry backed by the mighty Record Labels, artists who have million viewers reach, sky high popularity and highly popular stars in the music industry, Reign Afrika was only just making it, yet unfazed by the tight competition she found herself in.
“There is enough space for all of us in the industry and I’m just on my path,” she said.
Just recently, barely anyone knew her name, is how the article introduced her. A year later she comes back in the limelight, with an award for Best Reggae Album. Reign has been steady with her grind, manifesting her dream and vision. She is no longer the shy beautiful teenager who at the age of 19 released her first studio recorded single ‘Falling’, she has blossomed into a force to be reckoned with, The reigning Queen of Reggae Dancehall. HerStory is embedded with hard work and tenacity, the ability to be able to manifest a vision into reality.
Strieds Films, the looming powerhouse music video production house in Reggae and Dancehall, played a significant role in capturing the vision that Reign and Frontline production had. The visuals portray a sassy looking Reign doning a golden crown telling a bit of how long she has been steadily on the grind and where she is headed to: On the Frontlines. A vision foretold in visuals.
Before the Reign, the shy subdued songbird was just doing music with her bestie and business partner, the illustrious Skeleton Blazer. They made her subtle entry into the scene with a lovely tune called WAMI (Mine) on the SupaNova Riddim in 2017. Hardly anyone paid attention, but the song, foretold it all. Together with Skeleton Blazer, they told Mzansi Reggae Fans that the Man of a Battle has found his Woman of ah Battle, that they are together in this for the long run, and WAMI remains one of the best vocalisation that Reign Africa did, considering that she has just barely entered the field. Five years later, on a national platform, in her acceptance speech, Reign Afrika sends a heartfelt shout out to Skeleton Blazer ‘..for being by my side since Day One, since the first track‘!
Since day one, Skeleton, who has been in the industry for longer and is responsible for introducing Reign to Reggae, he has been hustling to get Reign in on the buzz, taking taxis to get to recording studios, making appearances at gigs and events, finding ways and means for music videos shoots, featured on same Riddims and making sure that they both get booked in major events. Their efforts under the auspices of Frontline Productions, their Label, are being rewarded. Skelly was also a nominee at the SAMA28, in the end, this is a win for Frontline Productions from V-sec!
The GRIND
It starts with the duet with Skeleton Blazer on WAMI, SupaNova Riddim produced by DJ Irie Dread. Although the vocalisation is good, one can still hear the shyness and inexperience in the delivery and the lyrics are also heavily influenced by Skeleton’s lyrical flow. In the meantime, acknowledging the striking beauty that comes with her voice and used that to their advantage to broaden their income stream, just like that, Reign Afrika was the face of the Piece by Piece Riddim Video Medley, appearing as a model. Her main grind was the features on highly prominent Riddims, gaining experience on how to deliver on a Dancehall or Reggae Riddim, writing lyrics to match the beat, flexing in both Reggae, Dancehall and Afro sounds. In this period, her confidence was also on a steady rise.
Live & Joy Riddim; Supa Nova Riddim; Kings Choice Riddim; Love Drop Riddim; Sexology Riddim; Moments with You Riddim the SAMA27 nominated Album Emphathy Riddim are some of the productions that she laboured on.
By the time she got On the Frontline, her debut Album, she was already a household name and readily on the Mzansi Reggae Female artist radar and most of the songs she released went into the making of On The Frontlines which subsequently earned her three nominations contending in the Newcomer of the Year and the highly contested Female Artist of the Year and Best Reggae Album. She did not win.
She went back straight into the studio to start work on her sophomore Album. At this point her discography was growing under The Frontlines Production house. The follow up album, Trailblazer was also foretelling where Reign Afrika is headed. The 14 track carefully laid out album includes the sublime Jazz infused Gospel tinged track Mudiwa Wangu. Here she displays maturity, vocal discipline and passion for her craft. Frontline Productions together with Maximum Styles Records and Publishing held an Album Listening Session to launch their Albums with stellar performances at a glitz and glamourous event dubbed: Mzansi Dancehall Red Carpet Concert. Pepsin launched his album Reflections under the Maximum Stylez Records; Skeleton Blazer his nominated album: He Crowned I Emperor and Reign Afrika for the award winning Trailblazer album.
The Reigning Season
Now that the groundwork has been done, a solid foundation laid, the Reign has begun. Stied Films offered a Free Video Shoot for the ultimate winner of the Best Reggae Award as announced, shortly before the ceremony, on their FB page. Reign Afrika, winner of Best Reggae Album 2022 will shoot a video, again, with Stied Films to capture the next phase of the Reign. Her first major performance after winning the award will be at The Back To The City Hip Hop Festival 2022. The biggest Hip Hop Festival in Africa with a 20 000+ capacity. She will represent Reggae and Dancehall on major platform as she performs her duties as the Reigning Queen of Reggae Dancehall, a title conferred to her by peers, promoters, industry insiders, her growing fan base and those who follow Reggae.
Tsoseletso Valencia Motsepe, a native of Vaal Triangle, about 60 km south of Johannesburg, South Africa; the locals refer to it as simply Vaal and in the streets its called V-sec. She proudly gave a huge shout out to her hometown in her acceptance speech: V- SEC REPRESENTED!
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