South African singer and songwriter Dewald Wasserfall built his reputation on soaring rock tracks infused with pop energy. As a solo performer he reached mainstream audiences after releasing his debut album Vergeet Wat Jy Weet van Liefde in 2012; the record earned multi-platinum status and delivered major hits including its title track and “Sewentien.” Momentum held steady through the rest of the decade, leading to his role as mentor on the 2018 season of the reality series Die Kontrak, for which he also composed the theme. That same year he joined the high-profile concert Afrikaans Is Groot.
Wasserfall was born in Empangeni, a town in KwaZulu-Natal on the eastern coast of South Africa. He composed his first song at age twelve and later obtained an entertainment technology diploma from Pretoria Technikon. In 2006 he launched the rock duo Wasserfall, which issued two albums and notched several modest hits before splitting in 2011. The following year he stepped out as a solo artist and found immediate widespread success with his debut full-length. Blending gritty rock vocals with polished contemporary pop production, he became a sought-after live performer and collected a SAMA Award for his 2014 sophomore release #EkenJy.
Following the 2016 album Jy Is Die Storm, Wasserfall moved into television work, penning the theme for Die Kontrak and coaching contestants Ivan Roux and Deidré Barnard during its 2018 season. A year afterward he issued his fourth solo album, Elektrisiteit, and took part in both the Afrikaans Is Groot concert and its accompanying soundtrack.
