Mandisa Radebe, professionally known as DBN Gogo year on Spotify just got even more interesting, first announced as part of mint’s Artistes to watch for 2024 alongside Uncle Waffles, HoneyLuv, and others, to now EQUAL Africa’s March Ambassador. She is the only artiste in Africa so far to hold the EQUAL Africa ambassadorship twice, a testament to her blossoming career.
Spotify has added more than 6,900 women artistes to EQUAL playlists and supported over 1,000 ambassadors in their home countries including South Africa where the March ambassador DBN Gogo is from. This support has ranged from editorial to partnerships, and marketing.
Spotify’s Artiste and Label Partnerships Manager for East Africa, Monica Kemoli-Savanne, said showing up on the continent for women and telling their stories is a priority for the platform, and artistes such as DBN Gogo are presenting positive narratives locally and to the world through EQUAL Africa.
EQUAL artistes received 1.3 billion editorial streams within their first month of joining the program. In total, the EQUAL hub has generated over 31 billion editorial streams across 1 billion listening hours. In 2023 alone, more than 14.8 million artist discoveries were made through EQUAL playlists, and EQUAL artistes received over 11,800 total editorial playlist adds.
DBN Gogo is a force to be reckoned with, holding her own in the space. Off from an energy-packed set at the Bacardi Holiday Club this past weekend, she said “Being a part of the EQUAL Africa program is something I am truly grateful for. Being recognized and celebrated as one of the many women pioneering in SA music is an honour. The industry being male-dominated just exists as a fact in my world, not a barrier to entry. I have set my own standard.”
When asked about one surprising thing her fans might not know about her, she said: “The one thing I think some fans might know but not many is that I can sing. I have actually sung on a few songs, some of which were my own.
“I realised early in my life that music would be a big part of it. Maybe not DJing exactly but it just came naturally to me. I love being in a position to be able to express myself through music.
Speaking about the African songs or artistes she grow up listening to, she said: “I grew up listening to all the SA greats, Boom Shaka, Thebe, Jimmy Dludlu, Malaika. The influence of kwaito and Afro-pop is quite heavy in the present dance and Amapiano genre.
On her music, she said: “My style is quite diverse, I wouldn’t say it’s one thing. A mixture of Amapiano, three step with Gqom as well. I like to experiment.
Advising upcomings, she said: “Don’t overthink it. Only you know whether you are doing it right or wrong by your standards. Be confident and trust yourself.
