Amanda Black Antony, is a South African singer-songwriter and recording artist. She is more popularly known by her stage name, Amanda Black. She achieved recognition in 2016 after the release of her hit single ‘Amazulu’ which was nominated for several music awards. Her latest album release is called Power.
Let’s have a closer look at the talented life of Amanda Black:
Amanda Black Age
Amanda Benedicta Antony is of Xhosa descent and was born on the 24th July 1993 in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. She is 26 years old and she grew up in Butterworth, Eastern Cape and spent most of her early life there.
Instagram embed
Amanda Black Education
She began singing in church and at school at a young age. When she turned 12 she began competing in talent hunts which exposed her to stage performance. The songstress later moved to Port Elizabeth where she completed her high school career at Kabega Christian School. She then moved to Port Elizabeth before she proceeded to further her education at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and studied Music Education.
Instagram embed
In 2015 she entered the South African Idols and after not making it on 2 occasions she eventually made the top 16 and further made the top 10 ending up in 7th position.
Amanda Black Career
In January 2016, Amanda moved to Johannesburg to pursue her music career where she was approached by Ambitiouz Entertainment who offered her a recording contract. She released her official single titled ‘Amazulu’, a song off her debut studio album also titled ‘Amazulu’. The song received more than 4 million Youtube views. She also released her debut album Amazulu through Ambitiouz Entertainment and it brought her commercial success.
Youtube embed
The album sold over 31 000 copies only a month after it was released and led to the recording of South Africa certifying it platinum. This also earned her nominations in 5 categories both at the 16th edition of the Metro FM Music Awards, and the 2017 South African Music Awards each. She also got nominated for Viewers Choice in 2017 for the Best International Act at the BET Awards.
In 2019, Amanda worked with one of the great legends in music, Anthony Hamilton on of the the track on her new album, Power and earlier this year, Amanda had announced to the world that she had signed with Sony Music Entertainment.
Instagram embed
Instagram embed
She then continued on to release her single ‘Thandwa Ndim’ which was her first release in two years. The song debuted on Metro FM’s Fresh Breakfast Show with DJ Fresh and Somizi Mhlongo and peaked at #1 on the iTunes charts the day of release.
Instagram embed
Instagram embed
Amanda Black Music Style
Amanda Black has a soothing yet powerful Soprano vocal range. As she began singing from an early age in church she has endeavoured to master her gift and her favourite artists that include Beyonce, Whitney Houston, Brandy Norwood, Brenda Fassie and many more. She sings in both her Xhosa dialect and the English language. In an interview with 'The Sowetan', with Patience Bambalele, Amanda Black describes her music genre as Afro-soul with a hip-hop fusion and a touch of soul and rhythm and blues.
In May 2017, the singer appeared in an interview on Super Sport TV Show Homeground, hosted by Minnie Dlamini and Lungile Radu, only a few months following her album release of Amazulu. Her music producer Christer Kobedi, claimed that the album was created and finalised in just over a month. Amanda also said that the album title song ‘Amazulu’ was in fact the first song she had ever written in her dialect of Xhosa.
Amanda Black Facial Art
Amanda Black wears a usual performance adornment on her face with stipples of Xhosa face paint as an expression of how proud she is connected to her roots.
Instagram embed
“Xhosa facial art – Xhosa Umchokozo – is used to represent Xhosa people. There are different types of patterns, created mostly by women. When I was growing up, they were mostly done on special occasions – but in some rural parts of the Eastern Cape, for example, Umchokozo is an everyday practise. The Xhosa facial art that I wear on my face has quickly become part of my brand as Amanda Black. But it started as a way of expressing myself and embracing who I am. For me, it’s taking back my culture as Xhosa woman – and feeling beautiful while doing it. It’s about me living the way I understand my culture to be. It’s a way of representing my roots and where I am from,” said Amanda.
Amanda Black says that she did not like the fact that she was dark skinned growing up. She then started learning about her roots as a Xhosa woman, her history and origins. By doing this, it helped Amanda understand who she is and helped her to love herself as an African woman. After she had read Steve Biko’s ‘Black Consciousness’ she became tremendously inspired to embrace who she truly is.
Amanda Black Controversy
After Amanda Black abruptly left her former record label, she went through an emotional period clouded by depression and legal battles. However, 2 years since, the talented star, has risen and come out beating all the odds and tells her story in her second album, Power.
She had an intimate listening session with the Boardwalk’s VIP Lounge regarding her album, saying,
“It only felt fitting that I have my first listening session at home where I know I am loved and have always been supported from the days when I played my guitar on local TV. I could only thank my people this way and I hope they appreciate it as much as I appreciate seeing them here.”
She said, “I basically started facing my fears and being brave because for a long time I was afraid of making the wrong move… But I got to a point where I had to stop being afraid and fight for music, for me and everything that I had worked for.”
The entertainment world can sometimes be so draining that one may feel like quitting, but Amanda Black is one force to be reckoned with. She has not had it easy, but she keeps rising like a phoenix out of the ashes.
