Bhekinkosi Mabhena (born 21 September 1991) known by the stage name of Nitefreak, is a Zimbabwean DJ and music producer.[1].
Nitefreak | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Bhekinkosi Mabhena |
| Born | 21 September 1991 Bulawayo, Zimbabwe |
| Genres | House |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels |
|
Early life
Bhekinkosi Mabhena was born on born 21 September 1991 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.[2] He began DJing in 2009 after his friend introduced him to music production software FL Studio. [3]
Musical career
Nitefreak first started out as a beat-maker and music producer selling beats to local artists in Zimbabwe [4]
His remix single "Premier Gaou" by Francis Mercier & Magic System was released on 15 March 2021. The song was certified Gold by Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique (SNEP).
In May 2023, Nitefreak was enlisted by 1001Tracklist's The Future Of Dance.[5][6]
Nitefreak received the most nominations at the 2023 Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards, for Outstanding Male Artiste, Outstanding Kwaito/House/Gqom and won Oustanding Club DJ, Oustanding Song of the Year, and Oustanding (Worldwide Ambassador).[7]
"Gorah" by Nitefreak and Emmanuel Jal was released on 3 November 2023.[8]
Other projects
On 28 February 2023 Nitefreak, DJ Francis Mercier and Michael Brun were interviewed by Forbes magazine contributor Lisa Kocay as part of their Black History Month campaign[9]
Singles
As lead artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZA | |||||||
| "Premier Gaou" | 2021 | — | SNEP: Gold[10] | Non-album single | |||
| "Ode Ireti" (Nitefreak Remix) (&Friends, Nitefreak featuring eL_Jay & Oluwadamvic) | 2022 | — | Non-album single | ||||
| "Kamili" (Francis Mercier, Nitefreak, Idd Aziz) | 2023 | — | Non-album single | ||||
| "Pesa Esengo" (Nitefreak, Claudia León, Bibi Den's Tshibayi) | — | Non-album single | |||||
| "Vom" (Nitefreak, Miishu, featuring Stevo Atambire) | — | Non-album single | |||||
| "Desert Storm" (Afro Exotiq, Nitefreak) | — | Non-album single | |||||
| "Ike Onu" (Nitefreak, & friends featuring Phina Asa) | — | Non-album single | |||||
| "Gorah" (Nitefreak, Emmanuel Jal) | — | Non-album single | |||||
| "Savior" (Nitefreak, Mole, Coco) | 2024 | — | Non-album single | ||||
| "Asara (Nitefreak, Laureano featuring Bambo Cissokho) | — | Non-album single | |||||
| "Gorah" (Francis Mercier Midnight Mix) (Nitefreak, Emmanuel Jal) | — | Non-album single | |||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||
Awards and nominations
Roil Bulawayo Arts Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Himself | Outstanding Club DJ | Won | [7][11] |
| Outstanding Ambassador (Worldwide) | Won | |||
| Outstanding Male Artiste | Nominated | |||
| Premier Gaou (Remix) | Outstanding Arts Song of the Year | Won | ||
| Outstanding Kwaito/House/Gqom | Nominated |
Skyz Metro FM Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | "Woza Kimi" featuring Kemm Vocals | Best Kwaito/Gqom | Nominated | [12][13] |