Uncle Waffles has been in the mainstream music and DJing industry for less than two years. However, in that time, the Tanzania hitmaker has solidified herself as one of the most lucrative exports in the country in terms of Amapiano.
Read more: Uncle Waffles Teams Up With KFC
Read more: Uncle Waffles Teams Up With KFC
From garnering the affections of international names like Drake and Khelani, to playing all over the world. Uncle Waffles has added yet another milestone in her brief but impactful and inspiring career.
Uncle Waffles confirms Coachella performance
As the New Year kicks into full throttle, the United States has kicked off its award season and the countdown to its most popular music festival, Coachella. A festival which arguably received international attention following the first ever female American headliner, Beyonce, performing back in 2018.
As the festival announced its lineup for 2023, the official poster confirmed that there were two South African acts included in their lineup. The first was none other than Uncle Waffles who took to her social media to confirm the news.
Coachella unveils the lineup of performers with BLACKPINK, Bad Bunny and Frank Ocean as headliners. pic.twitter.com/sCIZgXgEkh
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 10, 2023
Following her confirmation, her fans were quick to go on the timeline to congratulate her.
Uncle Waffles really had one crazy run. In a span of two years , she went from someone who just trended because of her moves behind the decks , to being noticed by Drake , then having shows in the rest of Africa to Europe and now she is on the lineup of Coachella. Amazing to see pic.twitter.com/T4RLfiL4jh
— the auditory abstract. (@ChromeDaCesar) January 10, 2023
Can’t believe Uncle Waffles is going to be plying at Coachella 🥹
— 𝒜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓃𝒶. (@fiercelessly) January 11, 2023
God really did a madness in Uncle Waffles’s life. NEED THAT 😭🕯️
— Tasneem (@lightbeams_) January 11, 2023
Uncle waffles will be performing in Coachella!! 🇿🇦🥳#amapianototheworld https://t.co/GyARpOML0T
— Lumina🇿🇦 (@UniverseAlora) January 11, 2023
However, Uncle Waffles is not the only South African act set to perform at the festival. This is as fellow producer-DJ Kyle Watson has also been confirmed as another act set to perform during Coachella 2023. The feat comes as Watson had embarked on a US national tour in 2022.
Other ZAlebs that have performed at Coachella
While the news of Uncle Waffles and Kyle Watson’s scheduled performance at Coachella is a reason to celebrate South African acts and their impact internationally. The two only mark the continued flex that South Africa has in terms of being leaders in terms of tastemaking and influential acts.
This is as they are not the first South African acts to have been booked to perform at Coachella. Other notable names to have performed at the popular festival include:
- Black Coffee
Back in 2022, Grammy-award winning producer-DJ, Black Coffee, affirmed his international acclaim when he was confirmed as one of the main supporting headliners for Coachella 2022. Following his performance, he was hailed as it was reported:
Superstar South African DJ and Grammy award winner Black Coffee headlined, yet again, the biggest music and art festival this past weekend in Indio, Califonia, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2022. This year, he took along himself his longtime friend Siyabonga Ngwekazi popularly known as Scoop Makhathini, and his first born son, Esona who also accompanied him at this year’s Grammy awards last month.
The success of the Amapiano genre has become a global phenomenon that continues to break waves throughout the world and its leading lady, DBN Gogo, is one of the driving forces behind this success.
[In March 2022] she was announced as one of the major headliners for Coachella's Heineken House beer garden alongside South Africa’s most booked DJ duo, the Major League DJs, with other big names including American superstars Thundercat and Flying Lotus in the same line-up.
Image credit: ZAlebs