drowning in a blissful ocean of log drums and keys: 🎹🎹 amapiano a-z 🎹🎹 an ilm poll

HOLY CRAP (keep listening)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgE024NOoAw

Stan, the 2022 list above was a mid-year report, this is the OkayAfrica EOY list:

https://www.okayafrica.com/amapiano-songs-2022-best/

Oh! thanks!

Good list! Definitely some stuff I'd missed on there.

Hi! Here's my EOY list:
Musketeers, Azmo Nawe, Focalistic- Danko (Remix)
Kabza De Small, Nia Pearl, MDU aka TRP - Ubumnandi
Sam Deep, Playgal, De Mthuda, Babalwa M, Sipho Magudulela - Kusezo Khanya
Focalistic, Mellow & Sleazy, M.J - SJEPA
Mr JazziQ, Zan'Ten, Ta Skippa - Ningalali Emakhaya
Xavi Yentin, Busta 929, Quedafloor - Kude feat. Busta 929 & Quedafloor
Toxicated Keys, GemValleyMusiQ, Tupla Double 0.7 - Shiki (Piano Anthem)
9umba, TOSS, Mdoovar, Sir Trill, Sino Msolo, Lady Du, Young Stunna, Slade - uMlando
Nobuhle, Kabza De Small - Malo We
FMS Records_SA - Iskhulu
Busta 929, Nobantu Vilakazi - Dlala 929
Robot Boii, Mellow & Sleazy, Soul Revolver, Shaun MusiQ, F Teearse - Salary Salary
DJ Maphorisa, Visca, Kabza De Small, Msaki, Da Muziqal Chef - Zanzibar
Dinho, Kabza De Small, Stakev, Makhanj - Soloko
Focalistic, Kabza De Small, Mellow & Sleazy, Myztro, M.J - Tabela Hape
Jungle Beats, Mahallo music - Ngixolele
Kabza De Small, DJ Tira, Young Stunna, Dladla Mshunqisi, Felo Le Tee, Beast, Dj Exit_sa - Ziwa Ngale
Vigro Deep - Bedroom Floor
Toxicated Keys - Me Now
Ch'cco, Focalistic, Mellow & Sleazy - Pele Pele
Pabi Cooper, Focalistic, Ch'cco, LuuDadeejay, Nobantu Vilakazi - Banyana Ke Bafana
Mfr Souls, MaWhoo, Sipho Magudulela - Mali
DJ Geewave, Gaba Cannal, Vocal Kat, Smash SA - Kzofiwa
PRINCE DA DJ, De Mthuda, vocal music, Blacksoul - Watching You
Kelvin Momo, Mas Musiq, TO Starquality - Sena We

And here's a Spotify playlist with the tracks : 25 Best Amapiano tracks of 2022

Thank you!

lots of bangers there, Jamie (and I haven’t even heard all of them).

you know you can nominate stuff for the ILM EOY and send in a ballot, right? ;-)

let me also share your excellent amapiano playlist on Spotify here

^ great list & being updated all the time apparently? it changed while I was listening to it :-)

Thanks a lot Breastcrawl, that's super kind :-)
I will definetly post my ballot, who knows, maybe a track like Robot Robot has a chance?
Hi StanM! yes I update it 2-3 times a week, especially when there's a lot of great new tracks, it's ussually the case in December

Right now I'm in love with this track by Minz5, The Lowkey and Jodiah de Disciples: Freedom
It's pretty, like an Amapiano Veridis Quo

I will give a vote to Umlando if someone nominates it, that's a fire dance track.

I'm checking out the 5 "House Afrika presents amapiano" compilations and didn't like anything on the first three (2016-2017) but the 4th one (2019) is THIS kind of music all of a sudden.

amapiano to the world, or at least to Germany!
just found out today that this song was number one there for five weeks recently:

“Zukunft Pink” by Peter Fox ft. Inéz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNT87WiK1dg

found out because I was alerted to this remix of it, which has a prominent feature by Focalistic:

“Zukunft Pink (Alliance Remix) ft. Focalistic, Willy Will, Kwam.E, Albi X, Awa Khiwe, Benji Asare & Inéz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CWF4WT46pI

If I don't confuse it with a song with a similar title, I think we haven't posted the sensational Thokoza by Sam Deep & Mawhoo, which is on the darker side of Deep House.

Full version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFh7uKvO9zk

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gobnsFlD5JY
Sam Deep & Mawhoo - Thokoza

Mind blown by amapiano going german.

And yes, Thokoza is indeed incredible.

Jamie Harley's playlist tho

Yeah his playlist led me to Nobuhle's 10-track album Indlela, which makes do quite nicely in absence of Simmy or Azana last year. Sun-El's name is nowhere, but his influence is felt. At the same time, each contributor brings a touch. Emakhaya - Malo Nawe - Jerusalema - Indlela is a very nice stretch of music.

Didn't strike me immediately, but I really like what Ami Faku did here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nLKhoeW2bQ
Aymos & Ami Faku - Fatela

Also SJEPA is one ridiculous earworm, which probably has a lot to do with how cheerful and fun it is.

I get all the credit for posting it first in April of course

Ami Faku is on a roll.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQMX7yw3Hbg
De Mthuda feat. Ami Faku - Buya

And that chorus reminds me strongly of Jorge Ben - Mas que nada.

I'm continuing to catch up on the Amapiano from 2022, also trying with albums. On the smooth but tasty side, the latest Murumba Pitch - Horumar is worth hearing. They mainstream and improve on Busta 929's sound (atmospheric cold synth layers, dense tapestry of motifs, melodic pearls), whose Undisputed Vol 3 I found quite uninspired. I also tried the Focalistic, which is ok but has little to offer besides the known hits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnX2R_5CkSw
Murumba Pitch - Esangweni

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS4tUcGAlzc
Murumba Pitch - Hlasela

So I'm going to do my bi-annual amapiano lecture tomorrow at the academy where I work.
What are the three amapiano songs that I *have* to play to the students? I'm asking because I'm drowning in a sea of possibilities.

if it's for the young'uns then you might want to show a couple that have their own tiktok dance - that'll draw them in :-)

https://www.tiktok.com/discover/amapiano-dance
etc

Most of them are around 20.

With visuals, I really like the amateur video that goes with iWalk Ye Phara (the version without Moonchild Sanelly). Kokota piano too.
Something off Scorpion Kings / Return of course: on the dreamy side, Lerato is one of my most played Amapiano tracks (Nia Lo too), Dubai for some piano soloing, or something suffocating like Lorch
Jazzidisciples (Zlele) or Askies are unfuckwithable
Some more recent hit like Paris, Amanikiniki, Big Flexa, Nkao Tempela

But maybe that's just expanding the pool of choices instead of narrowing it down :)

Also consider extracts from Shaya! (the documentary) or some YT dance video: either tutorial, or an overview like South Africa A Dancing Nation

cosign on “Jazzidisciples (Zlele)”: mindblowing track, with a fantastic video for the full-length version, a very rare thing

two recent darkish instrumental tracks that either use the same sample/loop/beat or one is sampling the other:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT9xX42qSD0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak3kOIVdOpE

(the second one was uploaded a month ago, the first one a week ago, for the record)

those are:

De Tories • Pekhashin

and

Sello SA Mollo • Mozolo Move

(please label the tracks you post, for future reference and suchlike)

oh yes, sorry about that

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

Kukzer Wadi Piano ft. Mellow & Sleazy • No Mystery

really looking forward to getting down to this banger at the next piano club gathering:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz_eUYaNaVM
Mellow & Sleazy ft. Mxrcus • Mozambique Amapiano

(fwiw the track has been removed from Spotify since I listened to it again this morning)

listening to some of the new tracks on Spotify’s Amapiano Grooves playlist after a short piano hiatus tonight and everything is sounding amazing:

Pcee x Mr JazziQ x ZanTen ft. papi_sa • Johnny ke Johnny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPnZiPRvqbg

Freddy K ft. Marsey, MhawKeys & Nhanhla The Guitarist • Ngisenalo U’thando: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQvpKY31-vs

Bassie ft. Soa Mattrix & Happy Jazzman • Thandumuntu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn4xOrAhrlA
(this Bassie track is another addition to my playlist with piano jams that remind me of Kidnap (Kid)’s 2013 UK deep house classic (to me anyway) “Thin Lines” with Lottie.

this is also great - the voices!

Tyler ICU ft. Khanyisa, Tumelo_za & Tyrondee • Ngimoja: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQQ1jkjEOMc

This Pcee guy is someone to watch out for. I will return to Johnny ke Johnny for those keys that open it pensively for two minutes before it transforms into a more standard (but still nice) Amapiano track. I like that aspect of shifting styles that goes with the number of contributors. I think you also mentioned the peace-chaos dynamic when Asijabule placed in the top77.

Bassie also nice with more demure female vocals, another recent innovation I like (that sounds very patriarchal lol). Ngimoja vocals also nice. Everything is nice.

always top notch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0dqaIvHCRU
GemValleyMusiQ • Dlala Drumo (KingsOfRoughMusiQ)

i've been working my way through the album. there's an awful lot of it! digging it though.

interesting piece on how amapiano (along with other forms of SA house) is reshaping the London club scene: https://mixmag.net/feature/london-afro-house-underground-movement-evolving-south-africa-amapiano-afro-tech-funky-interview

a South African beauty summit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Ex0RnPiuY
Nkosazana Daughter ft. Murumba Pitch, Master KG & Lowsheen • Ring Ring Ring

finally starting to see some of this stuff on Bandcamp!

https://pianohub.bandcamp.com/album/kopzz-avenue-for-your-ears-only-ep

I'm not usually one for whole amapiano albums by one artist but this one is pretty great: https://djblacklow-southafrica.bandcamp.com/album/impumelelo

Oh, cool! On a cursory first spin of the first half it was sounding a bit generic to me compared to his debut. Must listen some more.

i think it picks up later on, but only listened quickly over the weekend.

the first couple of tracks are so-so to me, but then it gets a lot better