Musa Keys: Facts about the South African singer who featured on Davido's 'Unavailable'

Nigerian afrobeats singer Davido has improved the profile of his other colleagues through his collaborations.

Following the release of the singer's fourth studio album "Timeless", some musicians who featured in the album have achieved several career milestones.

South African singer, Musa Makamu who is better known by his stage name Musa Keys is no different as he has achieved his first entry to the US Billboard.

He has made waves in the music industry with hit songs like "Samarian Boy" and "Vula Mlomo," which has being recognized both domestically and internationally.

Musa combines genres including hip-hop, soul, R&B, and afrobeat to create his distinctive sound. In addition to singing and writing songs, he is also a talented producer and DJ.

The South African Amapiano singer featured on Davido's "Unavailable" and the song has made it to No.8 on the US Billboard chart.

The song which comes off the 17-track "Timeless" album has been making waves since its release and garnered a million views on YouTube barely 18 hours after the video was released.

MyNigeria highlights some facts about the South African singer that many Nigerians may not have known.

1. Age and early life

Musa Keys was born on May 9, 1990 in Giyani in the Limpopo Province's northeastern area. He hails from Polokwane, where he first started his music career. He is the older of two children and will be turning 33 in May.

Due to his father's absence, his mother raised him partially when he was growing up. However, due to her demanding work schedule, his mother had to live him with his uncle, who was also not able to spend enough time with him.

He consequently grew up in the church, which strengthened his spirituality and enabled him to make wiser decisions in life. He served as an altar boy, an usher, and a pianist while at the church church.

2. Educational background

He attended primary and high schools in South Africa and enrolled at Damelin to study sound engineering.

While studying sound engineering, he decided that music was more important and left school to devote himself to music full-time.

He quit studying because he felt the music had begun to pay off for him.

3. Music career

Musa Keys embarked on his music career at the age of 13 when he started playing the piano at church. He became South Africa’s most popular live artist because of his multi-hit musical talent.

He picked up his music production skills by watching other producers’ work and getting guidance from his mentor, Lazarus Thobejane. He is well-known for producing the double platinum smash single “Vula Mlomo.”

Musa Keys is the sole owner and founder of his own record label, Keys Records, through which he releases the music he creates.

The singer has three studio albums to his credit. He released his first album "The Streets Are Calling" in 2019, the second "Widlysm" in 2020 and his third album "TAYO" in 2021.

4. Challenges

In as much as he has released several songs in his career, he has also had his fair share of challenges while trying to experience a breakthrough in his career.

While starting, he faced difficulties in getting music gigs or signing contracts.

5. Other professions

The talented Amapiano singer is not only a musician but he doubles as a songwriter, producer, DJ, entrepreneur and a social media influencer.

His music career has been on an upward trajectory since he started, and he has become a household name in the South African music scene.

Watch the 'Unavailable' music video below: