HOKOZANI Langa is undoubtedly the king of maskandi.
This has nothing to do with the departure of two of this genre's big guns, Bhekumuzi Luthuli and Mgqumeni Khumalo, whom passed away recently.
From his debut album Izindaba, Langa had shown strokes of brilliance, maturity and a depth often characterised by someone who has found his style. His career has been on a steady rise, gaining momentum with each release.
He might not be your kind of musician who appears weekly in your newspapers, but he is one of the most-selling maskandi musicians at the moment.
This has been confirmed by consistent sales of his albums that at least reach platinum status (50000 copies).
To cement that number one spot, Langa is at last being recognised with accolades fast filling his cabinet. With everything going so well in his career, it did not come as a surprise when he won two awards at this year's South African Traditional Music Awards (Satmas).
He romped home with the Best Male Singer and Best Video awards. Previously, the singer walked away with two statuettes at the same awards. His latest offering, Sithanda iFamily, treads on the same path as his previous one, Ushameni to Isigenke, cementing his status as the maskandi king.
With Sithanda iFamily, he showcases his talent and ability that will no doubt lead to a successful future. As usual, he continues to voice social ills and preach the gospel of responsibility and love.
Langa says: "In this new album, I have actually changed my approach to songs. I am talking to men and women who are breadwinners. It's a way of encouraging them to be proud of what they do. Having a family is a very special thing."
In the same album, Langa is condemning what he labels lack of respect in women. "There is something that women don't know that chases men away. Every man will agree that there is nothing annoying like a woman who is always reprimanding you. You don't want to feel like you are in court, you just want a home that is full of warmth with love."
Though many people first knew him when he released the album Ipeni Nephepha, Langa has been in the industry since 1994. But, he was very unfortunate to have been introduced to the industry by some unscrupulous producers. He recorded eight albums with various labels before joining Bula Music in 2005.