🎹🎹PİANO! PİANO!🎹🎹 - a song appreciation thread for “eMcimbini” by Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Aymos, Samthing Soweto, Mas Musiq & Myztro

59 tracks, 6h34 - that’s what lockdowns are for

(oh, plus a 5-track EP by "Lawd Porry", DJ Maphorisa's rap alter ego)

These guys are unstoppable. Playing Once Upon a Time... now.

Bambelela is a jam.

Yes, “Bambelela” is a real beauty, and so is the track with Sha Sha (although Aymos is the star on it). Feel the Mas Musiq x Aymos EP hangs together better than the Lockdown album, mainly because there’s just one main (very good) vocalist (that it’s just 6 tracks instead of 15 also helps).

Just been listening to the (9-track) Daliwonga album as well. It’s cut from the same cloth as the Mas/Aymos EP: one main vocalist (similar voice to Aymos as well). My fave is the closing track, “My Boo”, simply gorgeoussimo, yet again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anaCsQS-Y8o
Daliwonga ft. Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa • My Boo

As for the Main Event, Kabza & Porry’s Lockdown album, I’m currently very happy with my own 6-track distillation of it: the first 5 tracks (all with female vocalists btw), plus closing track “Hlonipha”. My faves of those first 5: “Phumelela”, a joyful bop, and “iNtombi”, which has that magic spark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LKpcADxGUc
DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small ft. MaWhoo & Myztro • Phumelela

The album takes a bit of a nosedive after that strong opening for me. I couldn’t wait to check out the Nomcebo track (I loved her on Master KG’s “Jerusalem”) but I feel the gospel melody doesn’t work here. The Busiswa track is underwhelming as well. Yes, these Scorpion King albums are all about luxuriating in the wonderful sameness (© Simon H.), but the tracks in the second half felt a bit too meandering the first time around, with not enough melodic pleasure or bop factor. Thank God for that final track, which has both in spades:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8fiqu8lBYA
DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small ft. Howard & Buckz • Hlonipha

(But who knows, I might yet fall for at least some of these tracks, just like I did, quite late in the game, for “Idliwe” with Mlindo and Howard on Scorpion Kings Live, with its lovely horn hook - they should use more horns!)

Actually, my Lockdown EP has a hidden bonus track, non-KdSxDjM, but as good as the real thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9a7rOq0e_I
Mdoovar ft. Sir Trill & Da Muziqal Chef • Uyalazi iPiano

(or as I like to call it “The Shevchenko Song”)

Wrong thread, because non-piano, but on the Maphorisa=Lawd Porry=Madumane rap EP (which also features Rich Homie Quan), I like the languorous “Bentley” with Nyovest and Howard.

(listening again to it now: damn, it IS good, and actually very much piano-inspired, so I’m posting it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahx6OPt_vXM)

I played Kabza’s mostly instrumental solo mixtape Pretty Girls Love Amapiano, Vol. 2 m/l as background music. Two tracks stood out for me (but I def need to listen to it more, preferably on headphones): “Dr Peppa” and closing track (yet again!) “Spaceman”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtcp46k-zMg
Kabza De Small • Dr Peppa

Still have to listen to MDU aka TRP x Bongza’s Pull Up Project in full. The few tracks I’ve heard suggest a slightly different take on piano, so it could be interesting.

All in all, this April Lockdown Dump is impressive, not just because of the sheer amount of music, but also because of the great number of highlights.
And to think they’re still sitting on some monster tunes, like the “Broken Souls” track with Sha Sha and “Prrrr” with Kwesta I heard them play in their first Quarantine dj set. Maybe these will be releases for those artists themselves?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIeeaI79ygs
De Mthuda & Njelic - Ebumnandini feat. Mkeyz (Mhawkeyz presumably). Nice follow-up to Shesha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFp9KDfaWis
Daliwonga - Moya feat. Aymos

Aymos is really the voice to follow. I'd say he's the voice of Amapiano right now.

MKeyz and Mhaw Keys are two different people…

https://twitter.com/mkeyzm

https://twitter.com/mhawkeys

…who both have worked with De Mthuda, confusingly enough.

xp

Juls seems to agree, this is from his new EP Happy Place:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RBzW3qz8wo

Juls ft. Aymos • Tembisa

The title of the track with Kwesta mentioned above turns out to be “Krrrr”, not “Prrr”, and is by Mfr Souls without credited involvement by Kabza & Porry. I posted it on the Amapiano Awesomeness thread.

Meanwhile, no Kabza or Porry here either, but this is Emcimbini-level intoxicating:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAsMeAb5SXE
DJ Nastor ft. Kuhle Excellent, Eli Phaz & Quexdeep • Sofa

New (27-track, 3-hour!) Kabza album out today, I Am The King Of Amapiano: Sweet And Dust, featuring two tracks with Wizkid (!) (Burna is one of those too) and one each with Samthing and Sha Sha. It's on Apple Music but not yet on Spotify.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbYvfuwfqEI
Kabza De Small ft. Wizkid, Burna Boy, Cassper Nyovest & Madumane • Sponono

replacing broken link for Daliwonga ft. Aymos • Moya posted upthread.

And holy wow at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBtX7kO4b1o
Kabza De Small ft. Wizkid • Need You Tonight

those are both pretty nice (or at least with Sponono it's super fun to hear those voices together), though I'm reminded of longneck's tip about letting Spotify mix out the intros and outros. Some enterprising person should put out a pop mix of Kabza's stuff: everything edited down to 3:45

This new Kabza is excellent. Hearing Burna's voice on Sponono seriously gave me the chills.

Best track on that Kabza album. I love this so much, total vibe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9YpWwQ-qPE
Kabza De Small ft. Daliwonga • Ilog Drum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLiYx6LfuXg
Moonchild Sanelly, Aymos & Theology HD - Isegazini

This is a killer

LiveAm(a)p(iano) magic:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWeVc0yNGac

latest (largely) Kabza & Maphorisa project is the Money Heist album by Tyler ICU & Nicole Elocin. based on only one listen, it mostly sticks to formula, with no exciting new directions like the Daliwonga tracks on Kabza’s King Of Amapiano. the hit off this is a cover of (and I kid you not) that old chestnut “Bella Ciao”.

not posting anything yet until I found a favourite - instead here’s a lovely non-Kabza track that’s very popular right now:

Soa Mattrix x SoulfulG x Shaun101 • Uthando (full version)

Do check out this fun live performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju0HNQKgbZk

antifa amapiano....I like it

okay, the people have spoken, so here it is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMh8ukme6YQ
Nicole Elocin & Tyler ICU ft. Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa • Bella Ciao

...I really don’t think “Bella Ciao” belongs on the same thread as “Emcimbini”...

people might actually start thinking
I’m posting third-rate gqom or amapiano tracks simply because they’re briefly popular in their respective country

Didn't know this about the title of the current Kabza album:

“The purpose of the ‘Sweet and Dust’ title was us trying to separate the types of Amapiano sounds: “dust” is mainly the hardcore drum pattern; the Kwaito influenced sound, and “sweet” is the more soulful and jazzy Amapiano. All in all, this album shows the world that Amapiano is a genre that caters to everyone.”

(from this article posted by Nabozo on the AmaPiano awesomeness thread:
https://mixmag.net/feature/amapiano-south-africa-house-music-movement-gauteng)

Also an affectionate chuckle at this:

“This is my first album,” says Kabza.

(also was blissfully unaware that "Bella Ciao" is riding a new wave of popularity because of the La casa de papel/Money Heist series. I don't netflix)

Mambisa II, the new Mas Musiq album, is fantastic, as good as any of the Kabza x Maphorisa albums, if not better – for one, it has lots of post-“Emcimbini” tracks with beautiful vocals (Aymos, Daliwonga, and Mlindo all show up, Sha Sha doesn’t, but Nia Pearl and Nicole Elocin do instead), feel free to take your pick and post some...

...but I’ve been looking for this Joni ever since I saw and heard the crew working on it live and direct on Madumane=Maphorisa’s Instagram live stream in early August:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84VuZC2pfLc
Mas Musiq ft. Madumane, Daliwonga, Vyno Miller, Kabza De Small & Myztro • Joni

It was all of the above (minus Kabza, so the groundwork had already been laid) together in a small studio (no facemasks, shared vaping, aargh), adding verses and ad-libs on the spot. Thought for sure they were going to drop this monster the very next day, but no. Kept checking YouTube to see if someone had posted that session, again no. Guess they were waiting for the “December” season...

okay, I'll go ahead and post this absolute stunner as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w3nFHv00ZM
Mas Musiq ft. Daliwonga • Watermelon

In love with Streeeeet Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight-ah! atm

Aymos finally releases two tracks of his own, and one is with Kabza:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IezhJlGIL0
Aymos ft. Kabza de Small • Iparty Yam

The Daliwonga album is out. Did anyone listen yet?

oh wow, I didn’t know! he’s great on everything I’ve heard him on this year, so colour me stoked.

listened to it this morning. very good album (another one!), although song-wise I don’t think it’s on the level of the Mas Musiq one. really like the rich percussion on these tracks.

It's more of a vibe, but it sounds like something that might grow on me if I let it. Daliwonga's voice is pure bliss.

mas musiq album is very nice but also sooo long

New Sha Sha, produced by Kabza & Maphorisa:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-khYk8xMNE
Sha Sha • Woza

It's December alright:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qPiqniM9kM
Kabza De Small & DJ Maphorisa ft. Tresor • Funu

goddamn, Tresor, sheeesh

so according to iTunes, ^this is from a 14-track album from these three due in February O_O

good lord, he also has a solo album coming out in January called Motion

I'm catching up on /revisiting this year's singles and he should really be a big ILM obsession, looking forward to starting a dedicated thread in 2021

keep it coming, Kabz!

Kabza (and to a much lesser extent Maphorisa) is all over the new DJ Stokie album as well, which I have yet to listen to. Lots of Daliwonga on there too.

As for Tresor, he dropped several pre-album songs in the past few months - I posted “Zwakala” on the Sun-El thread, but since then we’ve had “Dancing With The Moon” and “Walk Thru Fire”.

Meanwhile, there’s a superb new Samthing Soweto EP to enjoy, with De Mthuda producing instead of K&M. Check the Sun-El thread for more!

yeah those three tracks are the "this year's singles" I was alluding to -- excellent stuff. There's also "Thrill," which is maybe a little less exciting.

And don't worry, I have the Sun-El thread bookmarked. I just can't post anything as I've only managed to listen to maybe half a dozen tracks combined from the new Sun-El and Samthing projects :/

a little bit of context:
https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/sa-scorpion-kings-makers-and-tresor-announce-new-album-release-funu

I made a Spotify playlist with (almost) everything posted in the MZANSI MUZIQ 2021 🇿🇦 Rolling South African thread as well as South(ern) African tracks posted this year on other threads, like this one:

ILM rolling 🇿🇦 Mzansi MusiQ 2021 🇸🇿 🇳🇦

the Rumble In The Jungle album (Kabza x Maphorisa with Tresor) just dropped

interview with DJ Maphorisa on amapiano:

https://www.okayafrica.com/dj-maphorisa-scorpion-kings-interview/