Twenty One Children (South Africa)

Twenty One Children are the new riotous punk sensation of South Africa — a fearless trio rewriting the alt-music playbook. Born from the bond between friends Thula and Abdula completed by drummer Biko, the group has common roots in gospel, kwaito, hip-hop, R&B and South Africa’s underground alternative music tradition. But when they play, Twenty One Children fuses the grit of U.S. punk with the heartbeat of Soweto, erupting in a whirlwind of noise, soul, and subversion.

Just listen to their latest album, After the Storm, from 2025 – an irresistible mix of catchy riffs, raw vocals and irreverent skits – clocking in at under 20 minutes of pure joyous energy. With sharp wit and an unshakable DIY ethos, they’re part of a grass roots movement, building a local skate park and throwing benefit shows for schoolbooks.

Twenty One Children lives for the community, and shows us that at a moment where rock music in all its forms is once again capturing the zeitgeist, the most interesting music is the stuff that grows in the underground. What better place to make their Oslo debut than Kafé Hærverk, then – the band has been on Hærverk’s wish list for years, and this Oslo World, it finally happens.