With the success of Beyoncé’s newest album, “Cowboy Carter,” and the rise of artists like Nigerian American singer Shaboozey, Black country music is having a moment. Tapping into that energy is Dusty & Stones.
Cousins Gazi “Dusty” Simelane and Linda “Stones” Msibi grew up working together on their grandparents’ farm in the rolling southern hills before forming their country music band. Theirs may sound like the archetypal country band origin story, but rather than the southern United States, this duo hails from Mooihoek, in the tiny African country of Eswatini (formerly called Swaziland).
The concerns of rural America might seem a world away from southern Africa, but when Dusty’s older brother introduced him to the music of Donny Williams and Dolly Parton, he recognized in their ballads about small-town life a story like his own. The duo’s grandfather was a pastor who played the harmonica in his youth and taught them the values of patience and hard work, key elements of a country star’s upbringing.
Dusty & Stones’ songs tell stories of their community and personal experiences. “Mooihoek Country Fever,” their debut album from 2022, touches on subjects ranging from family to faith.
“I also have stories, I also have experiences I’d like to share with people. I feel like I’m able to share those things way better through a country song,” Dusty said.
The pair play guitar and write their own songs, catering to local music tastes by making their music easy to dance to and singing in their native language of siSwati as well as English. Despite these differences, the duo insists their music is still firmly country.
International breakthrough
After getting their break at a local music festival, Dusty & Stones have gone on to receive international recognition, winning the Texas Sounds International Country Music Awards Duo of the Year award in 2017, the first Africans to claim that accolade.
Since their win, another artist from Eswatini, Cleopatra Methula, has gone on to claim three awards at the same event. More artists, including Zwelly Masuku, Sbutjas Dlamini, Cousinwhy and Alfred Gama have entered the Swazi country music scene in recent years.
Dusty & Stones reached new heights in 2023 when they performed at the Grand Ole Opry, in Nashville, Tennessee, the pinnacle of success for country musicians. Founded in 1925, the radio station and associated music venue has seen performances from scores of country legends.
The duo has been playing for years, but their recognition comes with country music at an inflection point. With the release of Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” Black country artists are clamoring to be heard, and for their contributions to the genre to be acknowledged.
Black artists have influenced country music since its inception in the early 20th century, emerging from a background of folk, blues and gospel. Artists like Charley Pride, whose career began in the 1960s, and Ray Charles with his hit country album “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music,” are just two Black musicians who have influenced the genre.
Today, both African American and African musicians play country. The careers of artists like Willie Jones, Breland and Rvshvd from the United States, and Esther Konkara and Sir Elvis of Kenya and Ogak Jay Oke of Nigeria testify to the presence of Black artists in the genre.
Stones pointed out that country music existed in Eswatini before Dusty & Stones, too. They were inspired and guided by Zombodze Dlamini, the late president of their local country music association, which staged a country festival in 2018 and continues to support jamborees and country music shows.
Despite their historic and current contributions, Black country artists often say they face challenges in an industry that is predominantly White. A documentary about Dusty & Stones’ experience at the 2017 Texas Awards captured the hostility they faced from a member of the local backing band, and numerous Black country artists have come forward to share their experiences of racism in the industry.
Dusty & Stones want to see more opportunities for country artists in Eswatini. At the same time, they want people to know that country music already lives beyond the borders of the United States, especially in Africa, and that is nothing new.
“Country music is no longer an American genre. Yes, that’s where it started, but it’s a global genre right now,” Dusty said.