rolling Afropop / Afrobeats / Afrodance 2019

I did the same after I found out about the track this morning. It felt like a little miracle.

It was mentioned in this interview with singer S-Tone, one of the guest vocalists on last year’s Sun-El Musician album.

Yeah! Very nice. It has about 8 000 streams on Spotify at the moment, lol.

I like that Tendaness album. Sure, “Jika” is the best track, but it’s consistently good, different vocalists and all (including a Slovakian singer!).

(which reminds me: the new Mafikizolo single has a verse in German!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMBWFJYpe1k

Mafikizolo ft. Joy Denalane • Bathelele)

Whoa, the new Kizz (yes, another one) is really good! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As1fCxmMBQ0

Kizz Daniel • Eko (with PhilKeyz, low key of one Naija’s most interesting producers of the past years)

It’s been a while since I liked an Orezi single this much: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0Xt6enVKY0

Orezi • My Queen (produced by Mystro)

Some discussion (from 28 May onward) on of all places, the Rolling herky-jerky thread about the three singeli albums (by Jay Mitta, Duke, and Sisso) released by Ngyege Nyege Tapes in the past months.

These albums are all instrumental stuff, with one exception: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AJtXChPuIU

Jay Mitta ft. Dogo Mjanja* • Tatizo Pesa

(*not to be confused with bongo flava artist Dogo Janja)

Good recent article on singeli: https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/3442

So... here is where I’m trying to make sense of the shifting movements in South African house:

Let’s start with some good old spanking gqom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C2ywdq5aa4

Aquatick ft. DJ Tira, Joocy, Pianola SA, Rooh, Mamoliza & Fezy Gold • Sunday Morning

And this, from last year, but so fucking good (and also involving DJ Tira): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxp9WxVTngU

CampMasters ft. DJ Tira, Thuli Chesah & Mapopo • Izingane Zama Extreme

I love Mreyza’s Ethekwini EP: “Anger”: Spotify link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRoCpCi_TLQ
Mreyza ft. Madanon • eThekwini
Soundcloud link, just in case.

But… the dominance of gqom in the charts appears to be over - for now at least. Now it’s the Amapiano/amaPiano/amapiano/Mapiano sound that reigns supreme.

Even apart from the Sun-El and Simmy stuff, smoother (like Malumz On Decks’ epic “Shay’iNumber”) and sparser (think DJ Sumbody) house sounds had been on the rise during 2018, contrasting with the frantic Wall of Beats and Sound that is gqom, but amapiano feels like the real anti-gqom. It’s jazzy, dreamy deep house, with very characteristic p(l)opping bass, and of course, as the name suggests, keyboard-heavy (piano or organ).

The sound (mainly instrumental at first, I think) has spread from Pretoria, where it originated, to the rest of the country in the past few years. I have the impression that the addition of chanted catchphrases (by MCs) and vocal toplines is relatively new, but I might be wrong. It’s difficult to find good sources on SA music (hint: if anyone has any suggestions…) This is about the only informative article on it I could find: https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/sundayworld/lifestyle/2019-05-28-amapiano-a-new-movement-period/
(btw Amapiano must be the only known musical genre known to man that is critiziced for being both too “ratchet” and a “snoozefest”.)

I already posted some examples in the past few months: Kwiish SA’s “Iskathi (Gong Gong)” (a big hit, and one of my favs of this year); Kabza De Small’s “Amabele (Shaya)” (Kabza is a big player, it was posted on the Sun-El thread); MFR Souls’ “Bamb’ikhanda” (for that MC thing, plus: great video); and most recently, KayGee DaKing & Bizizi’s “Kokota” (top 10 in SA, check that bass sound!).

Here are some more:

The biggest track in SA right now (is Larry Heard in the house?): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAFzhL7XbCo

DeMthuda ft. Njelic • Shesha

This one is a bop! Another pop smash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SldyCVP02VM

Zero12Finest ft. ThaMagnificent2 • Baby Are You Coming?

...and when DJ Maphorisa steps in, you know the deal is sealed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTlR3vyIjkY

DJ Maphorisa & Kabza De Small ft. Kaybee Sax • Scorpion Kings

(They have a collaborative EP out – not on Spotify yet, but it’s on Maphorisa’s Soundcloud.)

Other kwaito veterans like the highly adaptable DJ Vetkuk vs. Mahoota, Oskido, and DJ Cleo have amapiano tracks out as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AluaRRyCc70

DJ Vetkuk vs. Mahoota ft. DrumPope, Soul Dictators & Leehleza • Abagezi Labafana

btw, besides all of the above, the AmaPiano mix compilations are good as primers. Volume 4 is the most recent edition (and a #1 album in SA, that’s how popular the sound has become)

All of this means that “Club Controller” and “Banomoya” were the culmination of gqom-as-chart-music, and not the beginning of a new exciting sound, but here we are (again, for now).

It looks like Prince Kaybee himself had already seen the writing on the wall. When it came out, I heard “Fetch Your Life” as a throwback to his older sound and couldn’t quite make sense of that. I’m reposting it because it has a video now and I never fully realized before just how beautiful it is. (It’s quite uptempo compared to the amapiano stuff, but it does have that amapiano bass.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oedqjPVN-U8
Prince Kaybee ft. Msaki • Fetch Your Life

(Msaki is also on Tresor’s gorgeous “Sondela” – check out the Sun-El and Song of Summer threads for that one)

Follow-up “Gugulethu” has a touch of that Sumbody sparseness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s6CuEsjhGA
Prince Kaybee ft. Indlovukazi, Supta & Afro Brotherz • Gugulethu

Even TNS, (allegedly!) the principal forger of the Club Controller/Banomoya sound, followsup his banger “My Dali” with two much mellower tracks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y-I6_KLz-g
TNS ft. Fey • Uzongilinga

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g2sRTWCWL8
TNS ft. Zameka & Londie London • I Believe

Sorry, that TNS track is titled “Believe”, it should be “...and not the beginning of a new exciting *direction*...”, and I missed a few commas, but yeah...

"Baby Are You Coming" on a loop. dope track.

Thanks for the update, breastcrawl! Will check all this new stuff out.

Baby are you coming is definitely a jam.

i think i've played it about twenty or thirty times since yesterday.

Wondering what you’re all making of “Shesha”, since that is the (even) bigger hit. It’s definitely a lot less immediate, I’d say.

going to be real: i like it okay, but the vocal track sounds strained in a way that really doesn't fit with everything else the track is doing. it isn't even an interesting juxtaposition...i'd almost prefer it as an instrumental.

in fact, yeah, i'd really like an instrumental of it, toss the vocal track.

I really like Shesha. Hearing it back to back with Baby... made this whole amapiano thing come together for me for the first time, actually. I’ve been seeing it around for a while without really grasping what it’s all about.

However, I must say that I’m getting some v strong early 90s vibes from a lot of these instrumental tracks and it’s *almost* bothering me. Not because I don’t like the music (and did back then). It just sounds a bit too familiar.

I didn’t mention Larry Heard for nothing, and the percussion on “Iskhathi (Gong Gong)” reminds me of Frankie Knuckles/Nightwriters’ “Let The Music (Use You)”. To me these are good things. That bass, the beats and all the other stuff they throw in make it sound new and fresh.

Yeah, for sure. It was just a bit... unexpected. I’ll get used to it.

Let the music use you lol!

“Shesha” is a weird track though. I went in expecting something like his (=DeMthuda’s) “Blissful Day” (which is beautiful), but with more hooks (since it was charting so high), but I found the music quite underwhelming tbh. The vocal track only started to sink in and grow on me later, but it’s what makes it such a big hit, from what I’m seeing. People are going apeshit over that hook:

shesha geza
masiy’e partyini, baby ngiyak’cela

which translates as:
hurry up, take a bath
let’s go to the party, I beg you baby

(probably loses something in translation, idk)

I do prefer “Baby Are You Coming” by a large margin though.

This is that “Blissful Day” track btw:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko3VpZFW_JY
Again, that bass is what makes amapiano imo.

Shesha is a banger

while I’m here (lol)...

Unfortunately there’s still no video with awesome dancing to go with it, but the best track on the O Team album needs to be on this thread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTiVKRWRvqM

O Team (Nerú Americano & Os Santiegos) ft. DJ Nelasta • Yeebo

"Blissful Day" is gorgeous, thanks.

i can hear the vocal on "Shesha" growing on me, too, though i still dig the Heard vibes by themselves, tbh.

GreyC • Sere:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWp7aDX0-90
(produced by Killertunes, who’s been pretty quiet this year, so far)

Always time for the elder Apata sister:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5SWYkPVNKw
Reminisce ft. Niniola • Jensimi

ANOTHER MASSIVE BURNA:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=so4dgTRaWFk
Burna Boy • Anybody

(the low-key lush production is by Rexxie, who’s moving up a level here)

(video is top notch too)

Question for rob: did you ever check out the Santi album?

Burna is seriously in the zone this year. Imagine if Location was all him and no Dave?

Dang, bad timing on my part getting super busy the past few weeks--this thread is overflowing!

I did listen to the first six tracks on Mandy & the Jungle. As at least one other poster mentioned, "RX-64" was the highlight, even better than "Sparky" imo. I just listened to and loved "Baby, Are You Coming," so I'll queue up Mandy again, it's pleasant listening for sure. That said, I'm much more curious about wrapping my ears around this amapiano thing, so I'm not sure how long I'll stick with Santi.

As I was about to post in the other thread: that Burna song is awesome! Listening to Dangote for the tenth time the other day, I only just realized how much he sounds like Fela on that--in a good way, not like he's derivative, more that his singing has stepped up a level in terms of being fiery and expressive. I'm pleased "Anybody" seems to be continuing in that vein.

oh also wanted to say thanks for posting that Mayorkun & Kizz song "True"--that's a jam. They can throw back to kiSS daniel all they want :)

btw the Wizkid feature on the new Goldlink album is worth checking out / add to the "Wizkid, put out an album pleeeease" file

alright, I didn't make it to the end of the Santi album. I liked bits of it, but for my taste, the lack of drama/grit in his voice + the lack of drama/grit in the production = soporific.

Switch up either half of that equation and I think you'd have something more special. Case in point: the Juls song "Maayaa" that longneck posted is very nice. Also, virtually all of the guest vocals stood out more for me than Santi's, and I kept wishing someone more expressive or eccentric was singing. otoh, he's got something or I wouldn't have thought about it this much.

Thanks for reporting back, rob. Feeling you about the Santi. Does this have the drama/grit you’re looking for?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWyAjHV_nmU
Mojo ft. prettyboyDO • Chop Life Crew

New Tshegue EP, first and last tracks are bangers:
https://ekleroshock.bandcamp.com/album/telema

“True” is nice enough, but between it, “What If I Say”, the new Fireboy DML...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YgTEm_-i4U

...and the current Sheeran/Bieber thing, I have Sean Kingston’s “Beautiful Girls” in my head way too often these days.

Not unrelated:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp6xej5xWfs
Joeboy • Baby

(this song is big in East African countries as well)

Oh, and there’s a new Maleek Berry, “Flashy”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gjuJZ4hTxc

(He was on Jimmy Fallon last week, performing “Zulu Screams” with GoldLink)

Thanks for the Tshegue heads-up, Jordan! I added both “Solola” and “The Wheel” to this thread’s Spotify playlist. I think I liked “M’Benga Bila” best on first listen.

The Kizz Daniel track I do wholeheartedly like now has a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgu-QlgKJts
Kizz Daniel • Eko

There really is no escaping Kizz, is there?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPhct2qvzcQ

Young John ft. Tiwa Savage & Kizz Daniel • Ello Baby

Loving this ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzGhYfL5LII
Gigi Lamayne - Fufa (Official Music Video) ft. King Monada

That one is great, so much good stuff coming out of South Africa.

I love this song, fantastic beat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP2wMOFuXp4

Makhadzi ft. Master KG • Tshikwama

And this slower-placed one too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XusdWegEXvA

Aubrey Qwana ft. DJ Tira • Ngaqonywa (Remix)

Amapianoing to perfection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeJeRmHZtrg

Jungle Beats • Sapha Lonto

Rema interview on pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/features/rising/rema-is-leading-the-next-generation-of-nigerian-pop-interview/

I'll admit I'm a little shook by his "afrobeats is old/for old people" view

Probably checks out with most people on this thread lol

But Rema has certainly blown up when these demos/freestyles are topping the charts.

Things you were shockingly old when you learned, Afropop version:

D’Prince is Don Jazzy’s younger brother.

People who have obviously written their own Wikipedia entry, Afropop version:

D’Prince.

Lol. I think I actually knew that at one point. I will always love D'Prince for this album cover.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71zZfoio4AL._SS500_.jpg

Packing hits like ”Take Banana” and ”Goody Bag”, he did not fail to capture my attention with that one, yeah.

I mean, those are hits!