The popularity of Blaq Diamond continues to spread across the African continent, thanks to their songs that have performed well on several music charts over the years. In this article, we’ll be discussing the biography of the award-winning South African Afro-Pop duo, Blaq Diamond. As you read on, you know the members that make up the band, their ages, career, net worth, and more.
Blaq Diamond’s biography: age, career, net worth and more would be discussed below:
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Who are the Members of Blaq Diamond?
As stated earlier, Blaq Diamond is a two-man musical band comprising two South African nationals. Ndumiso Mdletshe and Sphele Dunywa are the members that make up the Blaq Diamond band.
Ndumiso Mdletshe, who is fondly referred to as Ndu Browns, is a music producer, songwriter and singer, whose interest in music can be traced back to when he was eight years old. He was born on September 8, 1994, in Esikhawini Municipality, Ladysmith, Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa.
Sphelele Dunywa, the other member of the group, whose nickname is Dunya Devs, was also born in Ladysmith, Kwa-Zulu Natal, on December 1, 1994. Just like Ndu Browns, Dunya Devs showed interest in music before his preteen years.
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How was Blaq Diamond Formed?
The history of Blaq Diamond as a group can be traced back to 2010 when Ndumiso Mdletshe and Sphelele Dunywa participated in a rap cypher in a school bus while on a school trip. From that meeting on the bus, both boys began spending more time together and participated as a group in several functions in their school and their local community of Ladysmith. As the duo began gaining recognition within their community they then formed Blaq Diamond.
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Music Career of Blaq Diamond
After Ndumiso Mdletshe and Sphelele Dunywa formed Blaq Diamond, they relocated from their hometown Ladysmith, Kwa-Zulu Natal, to Johannesburg in search of better musical prospects. In Johannesburg, the duo didn’t know anyone who could help their dream come true as musicians, so they ended up taking up jobs to earn income until early 2017 when they signed a record deal with Ambitiouz Entertainment.
On June 19, 2017, Blaq Diamond released Sthandwa as the lead single of their debut album Inqola. Shortly after Sthandwa‘s release, the duo released their second single titled Emzini Kababa which was accompanied by a music video. Towards the end of 2017, Blaq Diamond released their debut album. Inqola which was a massive success. The album stood out for its fusion of Afro-Soul with Maskandi and umBhaqang. Inqola earned Blaq Diamond two awards from the South African Music Awards.
Below are the tracks in the Inqola album:
- Kulelekunye
- Emzini Kababa
- Ikhwela
- Imisho
- Kwanobamba
- Notambama
- Ngisendleleni
- Sthandwa
- Isoka
- Wrong One
- Amathanga
- Uthando
- 4Am
- Nomathemba
By 2019, precisely on May 2, released Memeza which featured Sjava, as the lead single of their second album Umuthi. Memeza peaked at number 9 on the Radio Airplay Charts. The second single of the Umuthi album titled Ibhanoyi was released on August 2, 2019. The song, Ibhanoyi, was a monumental success, peaking at number one on the iTunes charts and winning the Record of the Year award at the 26th ceremony of the South African Music Awards.
On 31 January 2020, just a week after the release of Love Letter, Blaq Diamond released their second album Umuthi which contained 13 tracks and went on to peak at number one on the iTunes Album Charts.
Below is the list of the 13 tracks of the Umuthi album:
- Umuthi (featuring Cici & Zamo Cofi)
- My Love
- Love Letter
- Ngibonga Umama
- Memeza (featuring Sjava)
- Sbhekane (featuring Thee Legacy)
- Ibhanoyi
- Amehlo
- WeSisi (featuring Igcokama Elisha)
- Lidume
- P.S
- Ung’bulalelani
- Sabela
Five months after the release of their second album Umuthi, Blaq Diamond established Umuthi Records, a joint venture with their record label Ambitiouz Entertainment, in June 2020. Shortly after they collaborated with DJ Miss Pru to make two songs, Price to Pay and Uhulumeni. Towards the end of 2020, the duo released Summer YoMuthi, which became an instant hit and would later debut at number one on Channel O Top 30 Music Chart. Summer YoMuthi would later receive eight nominations at the next year’s (2021) All Africa Music Awards.
On June 4, 2021, Blaq Diamond released Messiah featuring Dumi Mkokstad. In October, they released Italy to critical acclaim. Later that same year, Nigeria’s BNXN (then Buju) made a refix of Italy, in which Blaq Diamond was guest artists. Other songs the duo released in 2021 include Ama Criminal Record and Qoma, with Big Zulu and Siya Ntuli on the track. In December 2021, Blaq Diamond parted ways with Ambitiouz Entertainment.
The musical career of the Blaq Diamond group continues to blossom and they are being recognized across the continent for their style of music and talent.
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Awards of Blaq Diamond
In this section, we’ll outline the awards and nominations that Blaq Diamond has earned thus far.
Below is the list of awards won by Blaq Diamond:
- Best Group – MTV Africa Music Award 2021
- Artist of the Year – South African Music Award (SAMA) 2021
- Best Male Artiste in Southern Africa – AFRIMMA 2021
- Song of the Year – AFRIMMA 2021
Here is a list of nominations of Blaq Diamond that they didn’t win:
- Artiste of the Year in Africa – AFRIMMA 2021
- Producer of the Year in Africa – AFRIMMA 2021
- Best Male Artiste in African Inspirational Music – AFRIMMA 2021
- Breakout Artiste of the Year – AFRIMMA 2021
- Best Artiste, Duo, or Group in African Pop – AFRIMMA 2021
- Best African Duo, Group, or Band – AFRIMMA 2021
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Age
Both members of Blaq Diamond were born in 1994, so Ndumiso Mdletshe turns 29 on 8 September 2023, while Sphelele Dunywa will be 29 years on December 1, 2023.
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Net Worth
According to several sources, the combined net worth of Ndumiso Mdletshe and Sphelele Dunywa is estimated to be between $2 million and $3 million. This figure takes into account their earnings from album sales, endorsement deals, show performances, music tours, collaborations with other established acts, and revenue from streaming platforms.