Contemporary Afrikaans pop musician Juan Boucher tells South African stories with a husky voice that’s both engaging and soothing. Boucher was born in 1984 in Vereeniging, where he spent his youth teaching himself to play the guitar on the farm where he grew up. Early in his recording career, Boucher sang over skittering rave beats, as heard on his 2013 debut album Jy’ My Flavour. As his sound evolved, however, he began leaning towards pop-rock, swapping out synths for electric guitars on releases such as 2020’s Gewigloos. Whether it’s in sincere love songs such as 2021’s wedding celebration “Troy” or uniquely South African stories like his bushveld ode “In Die Bosveld”, Bouchers maintains a captivating eloquence and authoritative vocal presence.