Oscar Mbo

When the popularity and commercial viability of deep house waned in South Africa during the 2010s, Oscar Mbongeni Ndlovu, a.k.a Oscar Mbo, rose to become its savior. After 10 years of grinding it out as a DJ/podcaster, Mbo (born in Pretoria in 1991) released his debut album, Golder Power, in 2019 to critical acclaim. “Being a deep house DJ in an era where there isn’t much of it being circulated in the mainstream can be disheartening at times,” he tells Apple Music. “But the love of music, deep house music, has kept me going.” Mbo brought a much more youthful, wider audience to the genre (which usually caters to a more mature niche market) while maintaining its groovy, laid-back atmosphere. The success of his South African Music Awards-nominated sophomore album, For The Groovist (2020), and its chart-topping follow up, Defenders Of House, has proven the continued relevance of the genre.