Thread for the AmaPiano awesomeness that is “Baby Are You Coming?” by Zero12finest feat. ThaMagnificent2

to rob:
Not sure if this will help you “get” AmaPiano, but I like this medley of performances of three big AP hits, which includes “Baby Are You Coming?”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmyL11KwR-I

this is dance music, or pop music?

generally I'm into dance not pop but found this very enjoyable

I don't really listen to this kind of music but reminds me of "township funk" with a vocal hook instead of a synth lead

AmaPiano is just the most recent mutation of South African house music to go mainstream, more or less replacing gqom, which originated in the club scene as well. The vocal hooks are part of that process, in a chicken and egg kind of way. This what chart pop sounds like right now in South Africa.

Also like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toIO2FnusE0

KayGee DaKing & Bizizi ft. Killer Kau • Kokota

And like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEM4AlFg8YY

DeMthuda ft. Njelic • Shesha

thx for the low down!! somewhat predictably and boringly I generally prefer the more stripped-back stuff

that medley video was cool, thanks breastcrawl. I think the reason I don't "get" amapiano is that I realized early on I didn't dig gqom that much, which means now I have less of a feel for how amapiano is displacing it. tbc, I def hear how different amapiano is from gqom--maybe it's more that I don't get why amapiano wouldn't just be called (south african) house? not that it matters much tbh

What I like abt this song is there’s actually a pretty wide spread of emotions & tonal choices throughout but it’s very stripped down, so really small bore changes are doing the work of shifting the songs affect

Like it figures out how to make big emotions via reduction rather than amplification or complexity

To hear it is to love it.

That will be for my own baby as whenever I tell her I'm coming, she comes back with: are you really coming ?

it's been a joke in our house too

https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/top-amapiano-songs-2019
Nice write-up this. As “Top amapiano songs of 2019” it’s a bit random, good as the tracks are. Some big hits there, but no “Baby Are You Coming?” or “Shesha”, no glory. But it gives some wider context for the style, which I found useful.

like Rob, I'm not sure I can get as enthusiastic about this track and the amapiano stuff in general as others are. it's interesting that something this dark and minimalist is mainstream

I like this one from that list. Dark and minimalist, check!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH-X82dL0t4
El Maestro ft. TP • Bum Bum

Baby are you still coming?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf09g53-nUA
DJ Sumbody ft. Londie London & Leehleza • Suk’emabhozeni

(from Sumbody’s fantastic album Ashi Nthwela)

niiiiiiiiice

That song is lots of fun

Definitely try the album, I’ve been listening to it all afternoon.

This track does things to the “Don’t Look Any Further” bassline, and lots of other stuff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GcOSnRHmgU
Jusca x Plee • Empa Nna

This one is great too, and has the added bonus of an actual video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83zlbCKktzI
Jusca x Plee • Piano

And yes, this whole album too rocks. Pencil and/or Zing Master are involved.

how did i miss this track it's like the deep house jam of the year?? would sound great next to a mr fingers track

which one, maps?

"baby are you coming?"

Ah I see, thought you were talking about the new posts! Yes, “Baby” is still the jam.

sorry ha i'll take a listen

there's like half a dozen south african tracks that could have had the dedicated thread treatment, what an overwhelming bounty this year and I've probably only clocked like a third of what's been posted to ilm let alone exist in the world

i found a kind of incredible site.. with mp3 downloads??

https://somculo.com/download-mp3/life-ya-bora-amapiano/

slightly rephrased that to suit my own situation:

there's like half a dozen south african tracks or albums a month that I feel like giving the dedicated thread treatment, what an overwhelming bounty this year and I've probably only clocked like a tenth (I wish!) of what exists out there

xp

Nice 25-minute documentary about Amapiano. The Zero12finest crew have a small cameo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_B9frOKUwz0

Cassper Nyovest is doing amapiano with Kabza De Small now. The track is called Phoyisa

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

there's a track about an uber or something that's been in my head all week

If it’s this one you can vote🔶 for it, Nabozo nominated it:

https://www.youtube.con/watch?v=cTy8YTWtJqM
Semi Tee ft. Miami & Kammu Dee • Labantwana Ama Uber

(there are more Uber-mentioning amapiano tracks, but this is the big one)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTy8YTWtJqM

wtf autocorrect? it’s Miano, not “Miami”

bingo

youtube.con

That's the stuff

Very early amapiano track (from 2017) - with an awesome video! Loving the queerness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze7IGN3_xKA

De Mogul SA ft. Ms Mo & Makhensa • Oe Batla Kae

Also, don’t forget to vote🔸 for “Baby Are You Coming?”

(or any of the other of the nominated amapiano bangers - check out this playlist if you like:
ILM 2019 EOY🇿🇦SOUTH AFRICA)

Some hardcore spaced out amapiano by one of the masters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb8ugKuqg_8

Vigro Deep ft. Sdala The Vocalist • International

(from Vigro's album Baby Boi III)

"baby are you coming?" should have been a 1-2 b2b with balloon

it is in my house

Banger from the brand new De Mogul SA album Lessons:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTebRM0Ru1k
De Mogul SA ft. Mdee Mshangane • Na Ku Randza

Aw Emcimbini, kulapho ongthola khona
(Emcimbini kulapho ongthola khona)
Aw Emcimbini, kulapho ongthola khona
(Emcimbini kulapho ongthola khona)

loooooooool

Piano! Piano!
https://i.imgur.com/PsoplB2.jpg

been listening to a bunch of the "amapiano grooves" playlist on spotify - very good. and it all seems to run together pretty seamlessly

||||||||, you posting this right here right now is definitely proof of something, I just don’t know of what. (if this comes across as cryptic may I redirect you to the Sun-El thread just above or below this one on SNA)

Aw Emcimbini, kulapho ongthola khona
(Emcimbini kulapho ongthola khona)
Aw Emcimbini, kulapho ongthola khona
(Emcimbini kulapho ongthola khona)

/Piano! Piano!/
🖼

anyway, here to celebrate the fact that “Jazzidisciples (Zlele)” placed in the EOY, at #65, too low of course, but I’ll take it.

reposting the video in its honour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGvAKp3fOqg

loved this from D-40 on the rollout thread:

the reason "Jazzidisciples" stands out so much to me is that it felt like a dramatic shift in the sound amapiano had been moving towards -- where earlier records held onto this forward momentum, they figured out how to make a record that felt almost still and static while not rhythmically being that way at all -- all negative space, slow-motion. i think that's why it became such a huge record. If you're looking from a distance it might seem like a minute change, but if you're following all the records that become hits it had this really revelatory feeling, like oh look at all the possibilities this is opening up

btw, this thread will still be here to be enjoyed, but the main action this year is expected to be on this here new Rolling thread:

MZANSI MUZIQ 2021 🇿🇦 Rolling South Africa thread

that is a great post

"ilog drum" is so ridiculously good

really enjoying "bathandwa" from the mfr souls album. that album's been out since august of last year(?) but i guess i wasn't fated to hear this track until it got a video and could thus reach my ears via youtube recommendation algorithm/overlord

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

yes, “Bathandwa” is a fabulous track.

Musical Kings is one of those big amapiano albums that I still haven’t listened to in full even tho all the tracks I have heard are great - see also DJ Stokie’s My Journey. they’re just so damn long!

(points feebly at the Rolling MZANSI MUZIQ thread)

Blown away by A-Star's Nana Riddim ghanapiano goodness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfYvrBjwZA8

follow-up “Free” is piano-drenched as well

question: if amapiano ever hits dancehall, will we call it a) “jamapiano” or b) “ganjapiano”?

the biggest SA amapiano hit in Nigeria gets an appropriate remix:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR5uz13lhB0
Focalistic ft. Davido & Vigro Deep • Ke Star (Remix)

(btw I’m still gesturing indiscernibly towards... well, you know)

Voted raggapiano

can't wait for... shabbapiano

bambamapiano

baby keep em coming

do we need a video for the "Ke Star" remix? I think we do:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQKKCXXRcKE
Focalistic ft. Davido & Vigro Deep • Ke Star (Remix)

Not sold on this yet - the original is pretty much perfect and some of Davido's shadings seem eh unnecessary - but let's see how this plays out anyway.

it’s interesting to me as a sign of the times (#1 in Naija and all that) - and I think the video is super fun

i certainly dig the fashion

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 🇸🇿 🇳🇦

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/amapiano-genre-house-south-africa-1191523/

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/9606724/8-things-to-know-about-south-africas-amapiano-genre-a-locals-guide-to-the-scene/

Written by person who has written liner notes for Awesome Tapes from Africa amapiano releases

Awesome Tapes is releasing a new song by Native Soul called “Dead Sangoma”. Native Soul album Teenage Dreams will be out September 24

ILM keeps very little track of all the great amapiano stuff that continues to come out on a weekly basis (both tracks and albums) - here’s two gorgeous new tracks I’m enjoying today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kd--jo6PLrg
Mapara A Jazz ft. Mr Brown • Feeling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOC4e-Yx9j0
Sayfar ft. Musa Keys, Seekay, Makhanj & Optimist Music • Ithuba Lam

🎹🎹🎹

“Paris” by Q-Mark & TpZee ft. Afriikan Papi & Cloud9ne, which came out in October, has become a sleeper hit in South Africa, very deservingly so.

enjoy the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORCCxt1xlLI

…but it misses crucial sections, so you’ll absolutely need to listen to the full version:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQPutytnnYk

one of the biggest piano bangers of the past several months:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTL0VJM9CnA
DJ Karri ft. BL Zero, Lebzito & Prime De 1st • Trigger

…but this TikTok monster, for better or for worse, is the track that has probably done more than any other in bringing amapiano (and its name) to the world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnZTVUUwgpY
Goya Menor & Nektunez • Ameno Amapiano (Remix) (You Wanna Bamba)

shock horror, there’s nothing South African about it, it’s a Ghanaian-Nigerian coproduction

It's really tacky. I heard it shopping for second-hand baby clothes because it clearly found its way on some dumb-named spotify playlists, and I heard the two female sellers exchanging views on it (one positive, one negative), both evidently having no idea what it is they were hearing. I resisted nerdsplaining as I dropped some cute white ensemble in our shopping basket.

...while chanting: You Wanna Rompa?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVw0Rd8R8DY

short 1xtra doc

🎹🎹🎹

not nearly enough amapiano action on ILM, but I’m hoping this poll I created might get the amapiano party started again, because we’re seriously logging… lagging behind. here’s your invitation - I hope you will all participate:

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

There was a very nice 1Xtra doc a couple of months ago - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0c9kkls/1xtra-this-is-amapiano

Thanks! But some guy called Tracer already posted a youtube link to it 3 posts before you did.

lol duh

if you check the poll thread I linked it there as well - in the longer director’s cut. anyway, welcome to the poll all of you!

Want something major ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7o3F-MVE-Y
Major Lazer, Major League DJz, Tiwa Savage, Diplo, DJ Maphorisa - Koo Koo Fun

Otherwise I really think the big thing that was released lately is this DJ Maphorisa & Visca album Ba Straata featuring some of the big names.

sure, that’s a big one, but it’s not nearly as outstanding as Kabza’s KOA II Part 1.
thing is, there’s a plethora of good piano albums (with many also featuring said big names!), too many for one person to fully digest really, and with the festive December summer season ahead they continue dropping like flies.

recent-ish ones I like a lot include Piano Over Poverty by Kweyama Brothers, Horumar by Murumba Pitch (also their earlier collaborative Obrigado with Da Muziqal Chef), Ghost by Sir Trill, Two Sides Of My Story by MDU aka TRP, and Big And Small, Vol. 1 by Fiso el Musica.

oops, it’s actually Fiso el Musica x Thee Exclusives!

and big name-producer-wise there’s also recent projects by Mr JazziQ and Busta 929, as well as Mellow & Sleazy’s Barcadi Fest.

dont really like the major lazer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEtkT4pJQDg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUHnvbgu9wI

those are:

Rhyma ft. Sayfar & Bon Nghiêm • Wena

and

Toby Franco ft. Mellow & Sleazy x Optimist Music ZA • Mali (Kumnandi)