Biography
South African singer and songwriter Amanda Black surfaced in 2016 through her assured and emotive delivery paired with themes of equality and empowerment, propelled by the widely circulated single "Amazulu" and the matching platinum-certified album. She gained recognition for applying small dots of Xhosa face paint while further honoring her roots by performing in both Xhosa and English. Following a contract with Sony Records, Black issued her second album, Power, in 2019.
Raised after an early childhood in the Eastern Cape town of Mthatha, Amanda Benedicta Antony spent her formative years in Butterworth, where she sang regularly in church and school settings before entering talent competitions. Completing secondary studies in Port Elizabeth, she pursued Music Education at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and participated across multiple editions of Idols, the local series modeled on England’s Pop Idol. Performing as Amanda Black, she drew strong viewer support in the 2015 season and reached the final seven contestants.
Relocating to Johannesburg the next year, she secured a deal with Ambitiouz Entertainment, which issued her first single "Amazulu." The assertive Afro-soul track, marked by a robust melody, spread rapidly online and drove her debut album, also titled Amazulu, to platinum status. Drawing from R&B figures such as Beyonce and Whitney Houston while upholding her Xhosa lineage, Black composed several tracks in the indigenous language and displayed the characteristic small dots of Xhosa face paint during live appearances and photo sessions. The album’s impact yielded multiple South African Music Awards nominations, and her 2018 single "Kahle" achieved comparable traction. Early in 2019 she entered a major-label agreement with Sony, releasing "Thandwa Ndim," before the label delivered her follow-up full-length, Power.
Raised after an early childhood in the Eastern Cape town of Mthatha, Amanda Benedicta Antony spent her formative years in Butterworth, where she sang regularly in church and school settings before entering talent competitions. Completing secondary studies in Port Elizabeth, she pursued Music Education at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University and participated across multiple editions of Idols, the local series modeled on England’s Pop Idol. Performing as Amanda Black, she drew strong viewer support in the 2015 season and reached the final seven contestants.
Relocating to Johannesburg the next year, she secured a deal with Ambitiouz Entertainment, which issued her first single "Amazulu." The assertive Afro-soul track, marked by a robust melody, spread rapidly online and drove her debut album, also titled Amazulu, to platinum status. Drawing from R&B figures such as Beyonce and Whitney Houston while upholding her Xhosa lineage, Black composed several tracks in the indigenous language and displayed the characteristic small dots of Xhosa face paint during live appearances and photo sessions. The album’s impact yielded multiple South African Music Awards nominations, and her 2018 single "Kahle" achieved comparable traction. Early in 2019 she entered a major-label agreement with Sony, releasing "Thandwa Ndim," before the label delivered her follow-up full-length, Power.
Albums
Singles
