Babes Wodumo

South African artist and choreographer Babes Wodumo has made a name for herself through bold experimentation. Born Bongekile Simelane in Durban, South Africa in 1994, she was interested in various forms of performance early on, including modelling, athletics and acting. Babes pivoted to music in the early 2010s, eventually breaking through with her 2016 album, Gqom Queen, Vol. 1, which was led by the single “Wololo”, an undulating production that complemented her hypnotic vocals. In 2018, Babes would feature on “Redemption”, an enchanting highlight from the Kendrick Lamar-helmed Black Panther soundtrack. That same year, she would extend her animated style to EDM giant Major Lazer’s “Orkant / Balance Pon It”, propelling the song with her charismatic delivery. Babes Wodumo would continue her reign in the gqom genre with 2020’s Idando Kazi, a project that saw her refining her tantalising approach in songs like the sparse, yet climactic “eLamont”.