continent itself, the citizens and countries
therein, the average African music has seen some
degree of westernization coupled with the fact that
some of the African songs came with a captivating
African dance moves
to help popularize the songs. The original
background of jams and sounds from the African
perspective often makes a perfect blend with the
western pop kind of music creating a powerful party
beat that is more than compelling to dance to. There
are a few Africa musicians who have acquired a
great deal of wealth by appealing to the average
African’s sense of good music. They have become
so popular with what they know how to do best; you
practically have to put down a ton of cash to invite
them to grace your occasion. Internationally, they
are fast becoming sought after names in the music
and entertainment industry making Africa proud.
Answers Africa brings you the top 10 wealthiest
African Musicians.
10 Wealthiest African Musicians
10. Jose Chameleone
Joseph Mayanja popularly known by his stage
name as Joe Chameleon or Jose Chameleone was
born in 1979 and is a popular reggae musician from
Uganda. Singing mostly in Luganda, English and
Swahili, Jose started his career at an young age in
the early 1990s as disco MC at Maganjo Mizuri
night club while he was still a student at the
Progressive Secondary School, Kampala Uganda.
He eventually became affiliated with Kenya’s Ogopa
DJs record label. Jose Chameleone’s style of music
is a perfect combination of Ugandan folk music,
Central African rumba, zouk on a background of
reggae. He released one of the most popular songs
in the East Africa: VAlu Valu and has popularized
some of the phrases he uses in his songs to
become regular and everyday words such as
Basiima Ogenze, Nekolera Maali, Shida Za Dunia
among others. He is regarded as a music star who
restructured the popular local music in Uganda at
the wake of the 21st century.
Jose Chameleone is the biggest money maker in
the Eastern Africa and has acquired a range of 4
wheels as his “testament” which include; Cadillac
escalade, Mercedes Benz ml 200 super custom
convertible and a Premio. He also owns a big
mansion among the elites of Uganda in Seguka hills
located at the outskirts of Kampala.
9. Banky W
BankyW whose real name is Olubankole Wellington
was born on March 27, 1981 in the United States is
a Nigerian R&B artist and generally regarded as the
King of African R&B , he grew up in Lagos where he
began singing in church at an early age and upon
completion of secondary school moved to New York
to study Engineering. He won and was featured in
numerous competitions while he was still a student.
His talent in music has made him one of the richest
African musicians. He has been a brand
ambassador for Estisalat mobile in Nigeria and is
currently the face for Samsung products in the
west African nation. Out of his generous heart,
Banky W has started off Mr capable foundation; an
education charity organization with the aim to aid in
the education of children from poor families.
8. Hugh Masekela
Born on April 4, 1939, Hugh Ramopolo Masekela is a
South African singer and trumpeter
, flugelhornist, cornetist and composer. He is one of
the most talented Jazz artists in Africa. His talents
got him nominated for a Grammy Award in the
“Best Contemporary Pop Performance –
Instrumental” music category in 1968. In 2010,
President Zuma honoured him with the highest
order in South Africa: The Order of Ikhamanga, and
2011 saw Masekela receive a Lifetime Achievement
award at the WOMEX World Music Expo in
Copenhagen. The US Virgin Islands proclaimed
‘Hugh Masekela Day’ in March 2011, not long after
Hugh joined U2 on stage during the Johannesburg
leg of their 360 World Tour. U2 frontman Bono
described meeting and playing with Hugh as one of
the highlights of his career. He also received other
awards: 27 April 2010, Ghana Music Awards: 2007
African Music Legend award, 2005 Channel O Music
Video Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award, 2002
BBC Radio Jazz Awards: International Award of the
Year, nominated for Broadway’s 1988 Tony Award
as Best Score (Musical), with music and lyrics
collaborator Mbongeni Ngema, for “Sarafina!”.
Masekela owns a professional studio in Botswana,
and makes good money on invitations to major
festivals across the world and the sales of his
albums.
7. 2 Face Idibia
Born in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, Innocent Ujah
Idibia who is more popularly known by his stage
name as 2 Face Idibia, is a Nigerian singer-
songwriter, actor and record producer. Started off
as a member of the defunct Nigerian R&B/hip hop
group Plantashun Boyz. He has 5 Albums to his
name and has received numerous nominations for
which he won 40 of the Awards to date and there
were just about 6 other nominations he received
where he did not win. The ‘African queen’ singer is
one of the kings of African music. He has a vast
investment in real estate across Nigeria, earns
around $50k to $80k per show and owns a night
club in Nigeria just to name a few.
2Face has established an NGO called 2Face Idibia
Reach-Out Foundation . In 2009, 2Face was
appointed as ambassador the National Agency for
Food and Drug Administration and Control. He
released a song “Man Unkind” in order to raise
awareness on the menace of fake and sub-
standard food and drug products in Nigeria. and he
is the first non-Liberian to become an honorary
member of the Liberian music society in recognition
for his outstanding contribution to the growth of
music in Africa.
6. Fally Ipupa
Fally Ipupa is a singer and songwriter from the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the early days
of his musical career between 1999 and 2006, he
was a part of the band of Koffi Olomidé, Quartier
Latin International after which he started his own
solo career. His released his first album: Droit
chemin in 2006, and his secondalbum Arsenal de
Belles Melodies (A2BM) in 2009. Fally Ipupa won
the Kora Awards for Best Artist or Group from
Central Africa in 2007 and 3 years after, he won the
MTV Africa Music Awards 2010 for Best Video (for
Sexy Dance) and Best Francophone. Fally Ipupa is
credited for modernizing the Lingala music. He is a
poster boy for a number of clothing brands in Paris,
where he also performs at sold out shows, making
a lot of money.
5. Salif Keita
Salif Keïta, a proud citizen of Mali was born on the
25th of August, 1949. He has seen the transition of
African music through the ages. Keita is an afro-
pop singer and songwriter whose unique style of
music has earned him the title and reputation as the
“Golden Voice of Africa”. He is a direct descendant
of the founder of the Mali Empire, Sundiata Keita.
While this sounds interesting, it means that given
his royal heritage, he should never have become a
singer under the Malian caste system, which was
deemed to be the role of a griot. Those who know
Salif Keita regard him as a very humble man
despite his riches. The acquired his private island
and a number of real estates in France.
4. Koffi Olomide
Koffi Olomide whose real name is Antoine
Christophe Agbepa Mumba was born on Friday, July
13, 1956. The DR Congolese music star is a
soukous singer, dancer, producer, and composer
and has up to 7 albums up his sleeves which are
well patronized in the market. It is reported that
Koffi Olomide charges up to 100,000 euros per
show. His album Haut de Gamme: Koweït, Rive
Gauche is among the listed 1001 Albums You Must
Hear Before You Die. Koffi Olomide is widely
accepted as one of Africa’s biggest and most
successful musicians today and is among the
Answers Africa list of richest musicians in African
music.
3. D’banj
Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo who is more popularly known
as the Koko Master or D’banj (adopted from a
combination of his first name Dapo and his surname
Oyebanjo) was born June 9, 1980), is a Nigerian
singer-songwriter and harmonica player. He has
won quite a lot of awards including the MTV Europe
Music Awards for Best African Act 2007, MTV Africa
Music Awards 2009 Artist of the Year. BET Awards
of 2011 for Best International Act; Africa. D’banj
released an international hit song in 2012 “Oliver
Twist” which has brought more light along his way.
Oliver Twist is an uptempo dance fusion of Afro-
Beats and electronic dance music that topped the
African charts 2011 and was a top 10 hit in the UK
singles chart in 2012 reaching No 2 on the UK R&B
chart.
D banj is the first African artist signed to Kanye
west’s GOOD music label. He was as a campaigner
for President Goodluck Jonathan and has a series
of koko lounges; a high end club in Nigeria and
other investments including Koko water. D banj also
made $1 million dollars when he was paid by a T.V
station to star on his own reality show called the
Koko Mansion. He has a crib in Atlanta worth of $
1.5 million and reportedly charges on the upside of
$100000 per show currently.
2. P-Square
The Nigerian R&B identical twin brother musicians
are among the wealthiest musicians in Africa. Peter
and Paul who go be the name P- Square produce
and release their albums through Square Records.
In December 2011, they joined Akon’s Konvict
Muzik label and in the upper year, also signed with
Universal Music South Africa in a record distribution
deal. The duo currently make more than $150,000
per show. Square ville, P-Square’s crib which is
located at Ikeja is worth $3 million and as part of
their brand support, they also have a 3 years deal
with Globalcom; a Nigerian telecommunication
company as brand ambassadors where they are
paid a million dollars a year.
1. Youssou N’dour
Youssou N’Dour is a Senegalese singer who was
born on the 1st of October, 1959. He is a talented
composer, percussionist, songwriter, actor,
businessman and a politician. He was once
described as “perhaps the most famous singer
alive” in Senegal. Youssou N’Dour was among
those that reshaped a style of music known in the
Serer language as mbalax which is a popular
Senegalese music type. It is attributed to him as the
richest musician in Africa. He owns the biggest
media house in Senegal with radio and TV stations
with a lot of investments in real estate. He once also
served as a Senegalese cultural ambassador. In
April 2012, N’dour was appointed the tourism and
culture minister in the cabinet of new Prime Minister
Abdoul Mbaye.
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