The Vaal
The Vaal Triangle is a township in South Africa that lies about 60km south of Johannesburg. It is an area formed by Vereeniging, Vanderbijlpark and Sasolburg. The residents of Sharpeville, Boipatong, Bophelong, the greater Sebokeng area (including Evaton, Orange Farm,) also generally tend to consider themselves to live in the Vaal Triangle. In the streets its referred to simply as Vaal, or V-sec, in Reggae Dancehall circles is referred to as Vaal Never Disappoints
Nope. Vaal Never Ever Disappoints. It is full of drama and the massive turn up the loudest. They support whoever comes from Vaal. Their sessions are never exclusive to Dancehall, the local heroes and heroines always make up the line up, irrespective of genre. The movement gained momentum and started using the name Vaal Never Disappoints (VND) and people like DJ Pepe aka The Big Man and other selectas were instrumental in popularising the movement with Dancehall/Bashment events by patronising local eateries or watering holes and turning them into fully fledged Dancehall sessions.
The sistas and the queens of Vaal never shy away from the frontlines nor the limelight, whether side by side with their partners or single handedly taking the lead. Like the one called Thandeka No Odar who ran a popular monthly event called Fill Up The Hall in Sebokeng. The sistas in the Vaal have made significant contributions to the culture and continue to forge ahead with the confidence that only a Vaal native knows how to master.
The Queens of Vaal
Reign Afrika – Frontline Productions
The Reigning Queen, Tsoseletso Motsepe, hails from the Vaal and is based there. She won the Best Reggae Album 2022 Award at the South African Music Awards (SAMA) and in her acceptance speech, she gave a huge shout out to V-Sec.
It all started for her in 2010 under the guidance of Wandile Black Token Mkwanazi, the founder of Street Hustle Entertainment. Along the way she met and fell in love with a Rasta/Bobo Ashanti, Richmond Makhaphela,otherwise known as Skeleton Blazer who is a prominent Reggae artist. That is how she got into Reggae and Dancehall. She came to prominence in the Reggae Dancehall scene, first as a video vixen, appearing in the Maximum Stylez’ Piece by Piece Riddim Video medley. She then went on to release multiple singles, featured on various local and international Riddim Compilations. Together with her partner Skeleton Blazer, they laboured under the Frontlines Production label, and she instinctively became the first lady at Frontline Productions. Her 2020 debut album “On The Front Lines’ earned her three nominations at the SAMA for Best Reggae Album, Best Female Artist of the Year and Best Newcomer. She returned with the follow up album Trailblazer and won Best Reggae Album in 2022.
Not long after winning the award, Reign was involved in a car accident and had to undergo surgery. She made a full recovery and is also now back on social media and making appearances at gigs. Her first appearance was at a fundraising event organised to raise funds for her as she had lost her means of making an income because of the shows that had to be cancelled. Nevertheless that did not take away her reign, but simply solidified it.
More on Reign Afrika: Reign Afrika Wins Best Reggae Album 2022
Dimahr – Concrete Jungle Studios
Emerging from the Concrete Jungle Studios is the poised and calculated Dimahr. The First Lady at Concrete Jungle, a partner to the Studios Boss, Botanist Mr. Lamington. Together they create magic and dubplates and music in their home studio in the Vaal. They recently staged the maiden Evaton Reggae Fest Explosion, envisioned to be an Artist Festival, Where Reggae Heads Meet.
Dimahr gracefully emerged from the shadows when she launched her debut album The Truth produced by Victory Nation and Concrete Jungle Studios. The 11 track album included popular tracks like “Spirituality” and “Uptown Girls” released as singles before the album. The album itself is motivational, with lyrics consistently giving hope and laden with spiritual wisdom and encouragement. She fuses knowledge, wisdom, melodies and genres into song.
Her first song ‘Can’t Trust None‘ on the infamous Apocalyptic War Riddim was produced by Cape Town based producer Jah Link. The Riddim featured heavy weights such as Crosby, Chantty Natural, Diamond White, Daddy Spencer, Juggernaut, Richie Perplex and Mr. Lamington. Dimahr was the only unknown on the list. That made everyone start asking Who is Dimahr?
Dimahr is short for Dimakatso. Dimakatso Carol Nkomo is a singer, songwriter, born in Soweto and lives in Vaal.
More on Dimahr: Introducing Dimahr
Moon Queen – Jah Musik Productions
The versatile Moon Queen started off performing as a Black Conscious Poet doing rounds in the underground scene. In the beginning She worked with an electro producer, DJ Cuwneh and released her debut single,Good Days. A chance encounter with No order, a feisty grassroots promoter of events led her to the Reggae and Dancehall path. No order put her up on stage and she soon caught the eye of Black Dillinger, who by then, had been operating from Vaal with his Jah Musik Production. Moon Queen became part of the Jah Musik New generation alongside Dread Lloyed and Jah Asher and Saya Katana.
She would go on to feature on the highly acclaimed riddims such as Live and Joy Riddim from Durban producers Roots n Kulcha; Thlaloganyo le Maikutlo Riddim produced by LiveWire in Botswana. She cites her song “Sthandwa Sami” featuring Pepsin on the Maximum Stylez label, as her biggest moment in her career.
She graced the stages of the annual Back To My Roots Festival (Soweto), Cape Town Reggae Sunsplash, Exodus Reggae Fest (Sebokeng), Reggae Exploxion (Limpopo) and has opened for Jah Mason and for Lutan Fyah respectively.
Mbalenhle Cynthia Khanyile, better known as Moon Queen, born and raised in Sebokeng, is a Songwriter, Performer Visual Artist, Reggae, Dancehall, Afro Pop and Dub Vocalist and a force to reckon with.
Palesa ‘Shorts’ Sabalela – Rasta Barbie
Currently honing her skills pon the mic as an MC at gigs, the Rasta Barbie is making a smooth transition from Dancehall Queen to Master of Ceremonies. The petite, charming, crazy sexy cool bomb shell loved by all hails from Sharpville.
Palesa Sabalela, known to many as ‘shorts’ because of her height, her thick beautiful locs added to her charisma and earned her the stage name Rasta Barbie. She rose to fame as a dancer at the famous African Storm Ragga Nights in Johannesburg hosted by Jah Seed and Admiral. She became the official African Storm Dancer along with her friends who became the official African Storm Soundsystem Crew, touring and gigging with them. In 2012 she won the Dancehall Queen title in a tightly contested dance off at a Bassline.
In 2017 she made an appearance as a dancer in the highly successful Drama Series Called Tjovito with a cast of prominent South African actors Warren Masemola, Tony Kgoroge, Clementine Msimane, Rapulana Seiphemo., Palesa played a small role as herself, ‘Shorts’, and understood her assignment and delivered. At the final Battle she displayed her Dancehall moves that she is known for..
The Other Queens of Vaal
Soul Sister and Khosi Queen Sekano
Twin Sisters Khosi Queen and Soul Sister are making moves in the social media spaces. Covering Reggae and Dancehall gigs and involved in the promotion of Reggae and Dancehall in general. They are sought after for their photographic skills that effectively captures the moments. They document the culture and form a support structure for artists. They started a project called Queen Soul Vibes and helped to launch the career of the then unknown Jeremiah Fyah Ises. They contributed and supported in the launch of Faya Uman debut Album, contributed to Reggae Got Soul Magazine and hosted the Reggae against Rape project – way back then. They were also part of the Sisters who launched the Reggae Camping by the Country Side in KZN. Reggae Revellers in and around Jozi and the surrounds are familiar and fond of the twin sisters who informs the narrative of the Queens of Vaal.
After a hiatus from the scene, Soul Sister came back and joined MzansiReggae and took over the Social Media Admin Role and contributor. She captured vibey and colourful images of the Reggae Sessions inna di ghettos, did soulful innerviews with artists and our celebs. She selflessly dedicated her time and positive energies to the culture. After her stint at MzansiReggae, she got back together with her twin and revived QueenSoulVibe.
Empress Lily
EMPRESS LILY – GANGALEE PRODUCTION
Empress Lily is sitting at GangaLee Productions. She recently released her debut album titled Mama. The album needs some promotion and support from the label. Empress is somewhat of a misnomer as little sis looks and sounds more like Princess, as she has not reached the level of maturity and wisdom of an Empress yet. She adds on to the narrative of the Queens of Vaal.
There is also the other queen worth mentioning. She is an unpalatable queen to society yet she is intricately part of the Vaal movement; she is never raised on a pedestal, perhaps maybe she does not fall under the category of queen. Skeleton Blazer has immortalised her into song with the track iziqhi zamadoda taken off his Blesser EP of 2017. Izighi zamadoda can be loosely translated to ‘Men’s playground’. reminiscent of that classic from I Wayne – Can’t Satisfy Her. Both songs are observing ‘that girl who needs more wood for her fire’. In Can’t Satisfy Her, you can sense pity from the observer and you can actually dance away to the song without flinching. In Iziqhi Zamadoda the observer goes in hard, with no mercy or pity, accompanied by the instrumentals which seem to be in total agreement with Skeleton. It’s a dancehall track worthy of club banger status,
Three years later he returned to the same theme with the track Sgureng.
Queens of Vaal.