Jan Rhaap is a self-taught guitarist known for his raspy and spellbinding voice. The Afrikaans pop-rock singer/songwriter was born Werner Burger in 1983 in Northern Cape, South Africa. Even though he grew up in a family of musicians, Rhaap initially worked in the agricultural sector—he still shares a farm with his father and brother—before making a pivot to the music industry in his late 20s. He got his first big break opening for South African folk singer/songwriter Adam Tas on tour in the early 2010s. In 2014, he broke through with his debut album, Laaste Kans, a collection of songs with vulnerable, heart-on-sleeve lyrics. The major hit “Kom Loop,” off Rhaap’s fourth studio album, 2021’s Elmboog Na Bo, reaffirmed the performer’s reputation as a superb storyteller with a gift for meaningful lyrics.