what a skeleton move
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Thursday, 18 February 2021 17:01 (three years ago) link
did remind me that Forbes did an interview with Master KG: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericfuller/2020/12/11/south-africas-master-kg-talks-jerusalema-bolobedu-dance-and-life-off-the-road/
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Thursday, 18 February 2021 17:03 (three years ago) link
catching up on this thread and the the mr jazziq & busta 929 tracks are really cool, especially "ekseni". really love that massive hi-hat/snare sound
― ufo, Wednesday, February 17, 2021 2:35 AM (three days ago)
Doing this now too -- p intriguing stuff. My dance music history is crap but "Ekseni" sounded a bit like garage to me?
― rob, Saturday, 20 February 2021 16:31 (three years ago) link
yeah i hear that a little
― ufo, Saturday, 20 February 2021 17:58 (three years ago) link
becoming slightly obsessed with this song:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6Tct3AAre0Tyla ft. Kooldrink • Getting Late(been out for a year, but only blew up recently through TikTok, some serious international crossover potential here)
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 27 February 2021 15:51 (three years ago) link
Mthandazo Gatya has his first EP out, built around his hit Senzeni. The Amapiano number is Uyena. It's on the gentle side, but very nice at that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNoqKODqMn8Mthandazo Gatya - Abafana
― Nabozo, Saturday, 27 February 2021 17:51 (three years ago) link
"getting late" is nice
― dyl, Saturday, 27 February 2021 18:52 (three years ago) link
More great vocals by Mthandazo Gatya:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5ESyyt4Q3wPastorTheDJ ft. Mthandazo Gatya & DJ Vitoto • Thandaza (Remix)
"Devotion" by the same threesome is very good too.
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Sunday, 28 February 2021 16:57 (three years ago) link
this is killer too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOYotbZRsc4MalumNator ft. De Mthuda & Ntokzin • Umfaz'Wephepha
the highlight from MalumNator's excellent Moya Wam album
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Sunday, 28 February 2021 17:06 (three years ago) link
that’s Felix Laband • Whistling In Tongues, from 2002.
I've been curiously obsessed with this hugely underrated and unnoticed record for well over a decade and had no idea he was from SA! Was NOT expecting to see something from Dark Days Exit in here
― octobeard, Sunday, 28 February 2021 17:16 (three years ago) link
Great thread---and since somebody cited older music way upstream, I'll mention The National Wake, whose 2013 "complete works? (14 tracks) reissue I mentioned in Pazz & Jop ballot notes:National Wake---Walk In Africa 1979-1980: Music made by young South Africans, of various RSA racial classifications: punk-funk-reggae-dub, reminding me of Australia's Us Mob, No Fixed Address, Coloured Stone, early live Police, some of Tom Robinson's combos, Bad Brains kinda. The finale, a dub workout, is over 17 min long, like over three times as long as any other, but despite my habitual editorial fantasies, wouldn't part with a particle so far. Would have Top Tenned this set, but already got all those reissues on there already….Backstory, doc excerpt* and reissue still here:https://lightintheattic.net/releases/923-walk-in-africa-1979-81
*from the doc Punk In Africa, which incl. a lot of other artists def. worth checking
― dow, Sunday, 28 February 2021 22:09 (three years ago) link
And from 2020 Uproxx ballot notes*:Someone suggested that I check out Azana, a young "house and soul" singer, as he puts it, from Durban. Here's a good -sounding playlist, all from her current album, Ingoma, I think--might seem a bit ballad-y at first, but mostly of a smooth pulsation, luxury class but never wasteful---or wasted, alas; I wouldn't something a little less reasonable, but she's as good, as that gets. Relatively mainstream "Your Love" is even a fave---first single, and I totally get that, ditto the plainer version of "Goodbye," but most faves make more overt use of "ethnic" elements, like
the other version of "Goodbye," feat. Just Bheki and Afriikan Papi, and another fave, "Uthando Lwangemela" (that might be my No.1), also "Silekelela", with 0 guests listed. Ditto the mystique of "Egoli," wiith clipped accents drawing catchy verses around the sidewalk, then chorus stretching some syllables toward dreamtime--here's the playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgV3lUftsRbYnDhoIIwZoqvIfFN4gOYkF
And one of several not on the list, v. catchy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNCml8NfC8I
There's also a live at the Redbox set, where she performs the whole album, apparently, haven;t listened to that yet (several African artists with vids from the Redbox, I see) (Oh also on the list: "Lovers and Best Friends," feat. Disciples of House.)
Someone in YT comments: "If she were Anita Baker or Sade, people would be raving." Yeah, she's in there between them, straightfowardly drawn to something beyond (moments, milestones, pleasures, satisfactions, becoming actual happiness?), via her own way, becoming more and visible.*orig. from her thread:
Azana - Ingoma
― dow, Sunday, 28 February 2021 22:17 (three years ago) link
the anita and sade comparisons feel so clumsy to me for such light music (no pejorative intended in 'light')
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Friday, 5 March 2021 04:52 (three years ago) link
anyway im obsessed with this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uNMkL1InEgblaqnick and masterblaq - the whistling man feat. uncle jo
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Friday, 5 March 2021 04:53 (three years ago) link
whoa. it's right there in the title and yet something about the sound still took me by surprise
― dyl, Friday, 5 March 2021 07:35 (three years ago) link
FYI: the TNS album is finally out - it’s a 30-track double album called Phupholetu. needless to say, I haven’t listened to it yet, but there should be plenty of goodness on there.
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 5 March 2021 08:25 (three years ago) link
FYI as in public service announcement, I might add
And if you have any doubt that it's a competition, you have Prince Kaybee's new album which manages to be 2 minutes longer in just 24 tracks.
― Nabozo, Monday, 8 March 2021 18:12 (three years ago) link
yeah "getting late" is amazing ... the structure of the track almost treats her vocals like a sample but there's some very pop about it also, i think it's a really cool combo
― J0rdan S., Monday, 8 March 2021 18:16 (three years ago) link
in this interview producer Kooldrink talks about wanting to make an amapiano track with the structure and the vocals of what he calls “a normal radio song” (from 5’35 minutes in)”Getting Late” has a UK pop garage vibe for me - I can hear garage (of the “Do You Mind” kind) in Boohle’s vocal for Busta 929’s “Ekseni” too, but that one also recalls 80s Chicago house a lot, I feel.
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Monday, 8 March 2021 20:46 (three years ago) link
xps yes, it can’t be a coincidence that TNS and former employer and current rival Prince Kaybee dropped their new albums on the same day.when it comes to chart performance, Kaybee blows TNS out of the water, but that TNS album is absolutely fantastic. there’s the 10 tracks he released in the past 9 months, post-album number one, but the 20 new ones are equally good. they’re all cut from the same cloth, a quite different, much cleaner and sparser sound than on the first album, where he sounded like a next-generation Heavy K, but every next track sounds exciting and fresh.have only listened to a couple of the Kaybee tracks yet, but TNS-less Kaybee often leans towards afrotech, which is my least favourite of the SA house genres. I like “Menateng”, his track with Aymos and Black Motion tho:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM8OFcFaEC4
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Monday, 8 March 2021 20:54 (three years ago) link
Busta 929 dropped his first (8-track) solo album (that is, without Mr JazziQ) this Friday as well btw (it’s called Undisputed).Busta 929 and Mr JazziQ, together and separately, have been dominating the SA charts with their productions this year so far like Kabza (with or without Maphorisa) did a year ago.
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Monday, 8 March 2021 21:03 (three years ago) link
"getting late" is the best song ever
― mellon collie and the infinite bradness (BradNelson), Thursday, 11 March 2021 03:54 (three years ago) link
wow "getting late" is so good. i found an interview where tyla says she's been working more with kooldrink so i'm looking forward to more like it to come from them
― ufo, Thursday, 11 March 2021 04:07 (three years ago) link
very impressed with the somber/solemn new Semi Tee. great percussion as usual:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqddmF7M8FASemi Tee ft. MDU aka TRP & Sir Trill • Lomshini
(Sir Trill proving once again why he is one of the hot vocalists right now)
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 12 March 2021 19:02 (three years ago) link
just noticed it’s actually a Semi x MDU coproduction, from a forthcoming project of theirs
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 12 March 2021 19:07 (three years ago) link
now, I could post all the good tracks on the TNS album, or I could link the new NaakMusiQ single as a shortcut:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcWUWwpmIhoNaakMusiQ ft. TNS & Bluelle • Ntokazi(this one actually has a bit more of the oomph of the earlier TNS stuff)
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 12 March 2021 19:30 (three years ago) link
Following that trill I found that his songs with Stoa Mattrix (who gave us Uthando last year) are a perfect combination. His vocals are really close to Samthing Soweto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-lntx6Jdl0Soa Mattrix - Pula (feat. Sir Trill)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BDoL_wzSJUSoa Mattrix - Stoko (feat. Sir Trill)
I love that baby-rocking end of the Amapiano sound.
― Nabozo, Saturday, 13 March 2021 16:00 (three years ago) link
“Pula” especially is lovely. Mashudu (who I hadn’t heard before, she’s on several other tracks of the Soa Mattrix album) is good on it too.Sir Trill with Da Muziqal Chef is a good combination too, I find. Mdoovar’s “Uyalazi Piano”, one of my favourite “eMcimbini” slipstream hits last year, was my introduction to that combo.
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 13 March 2021 17:41 (three years ago) link
Another long one, chill and elegant, free. Wonderful keys, and I like the raw group vocals.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUJzC0fWXCIKwiish SA - LiYoshona (feat. Njelic, Malumnator, De Mthuda)
― Nabozo, Sunday, 14 March 2021 11:43 (three years ago) link
That's my favorite of the year so far.
― Nabozo, Sunday, 14 March 2021 11:54 (three years ago) link
Tyla was 17 last year and going to high school. Cute accent too.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC5oY4WEiDM
― Nabozo, Sunday, 14 March 2021 15:23 (three years ago) link
that interview was posted upthread earlier
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Sunday, 14 March 2021 15:28 (three years ago) link
FYI- Awesome Tapes from Africa pr email excerpt
By popular demand, we are releasing Teno Afrika’s incredible Amapiano Selections on LP and CD on Friday.
He compiled a very compelling DJ mix surveying the quickly-emerging amapiano sub-style Skrr Gong, which he says everyone is going nuts over at the moment.
Teno Afrika's new mix comes out in anticipation of the LP and CD release of Amapiano Selections which has received considerable praise from fans and press around the world since its digital release late last year
― curmudgeon, Monday, 15 March 2021 18:39 (three years ago) link
on youtube alreadyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSzquyPtCVg
what is skrr gong
― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Monday, 15 March 2021 18:41 (three years ago) link
great mix
didn't expect to hear "sonini" in there lol
― dyl, Tuesday, 16 March 2021 03:24 (three years ago) link
Balance some of us real quick wats dis skrr gong all about? pic.twitter.com/ncHSNlaD1b— TAKA LIMI🇮🇹 (@mellowzr) January 24, 2019
― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 17 March 2021 17:26 (three years ago) link
Skrr gong is also a song and now a record label too
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 18 March 2021 12:47 (three years ago) link
skrr gong, look what the cat brought in – it’s some tracks that have made my March so far:
Bassie ft. Boohle & T-Man SA • Sizani: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFo9VWOttiw(Bassie is the voice on MFR Souls’ fabulous “Bathandwa”, see upthread. she has now become The Voice of the spectacularly good “Sizani”)
Felo Le Tee ft. Kabza De Small, DJ Maphorisa & Mark Khoza • Duduzane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjlYvTMNJ2c(Felo Le Tee’s Paradise album is worth checking out, just clock the features there!)
Tendaness ft. JoJo • Uthando Lwakho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74gSZROYUWc(Tendaness is from eSwatini/Swaziland. his “Jika” from 2017 is a gem)
T-Percx & Vusinator ft. Assert, King Monopoly & Rising Blaqstar • Shela ntombi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krL4IXC6cZ0(it’s that fingerlickingly good 'n groovy stuff)
Mr JazziQ ft. Kabza De Small, Boohle & Lady Du • Woza: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vgibR8NXfE(onwards from “Ekseni”)
Q-LV ft. BosPianii • Wena Fela: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN_0hb3WmKo(BosPianii is the producer of one of amapiano’s first mainstream hits, KayGee DaKing & Bizizi’s “Kokota”. this is not that, but it’s achingly beautiful. make yours its first YouTube view!)
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Sunday, 21 March 2021 16:46 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fyhq8GJJPQAKamo Mphela - Nkulunkulu (new EP out in April)
― Nabozo, Saturday, 27 March 2021 16:03 (three years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s96A1W6J840Boohle feat. Busta 929, Reece Madlisa, Zuma) - Hamba Nobani
I love the ability of Busta 929 to surprise and do counter-intuitive things in a genre that is so enclosed, even if that's considerably less true of Hamba Nobani compared to his previous work and another one of his latest, Phola.
― Nabozo, Friday, 2 April 2021 12:51 (three years ago) link
I think I've come to see Amapiano as a sort of hermetic art that must sound quite opaque or navel-gazing to new audience, if only because of the similar developments and long track time. Probably one thing that Nigeria and the occasional Getting Late can help with. But maybe that's just the story with electronic music.
― Nabozo, Friday, 2 April 2021 12:58 (three years ago) link
here is your thread companion - a Spotify playlist with (almost) everything posted in this thread as well as South(ern) African tracks posted on other threads:ILM rolling 🇿🇦 Mzansi MusiQ 2021 🇸🇿 🇳🇦
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Monday, 5 April 2021 20:09 (three years ago) link
re-upping two broken links:
DJ Obza ft. Nkosazana & Dj Freetz • Dlozi’lam / Idlozi Lami
Kelvin Momo ft. Sino Msolo & Souloho • Madlamini(this one has been removed from Spotify unfortunately, so it's not on the playlist)
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Monday, 5 April 2021 20:12 (three years ago) link
gosh "idlozi lami" is so incredible, definitely one of my favorites so far this year. honestly, there's been a lot of great amapiano this year. i don't know if i'm just hearing more stuff at that level because i'm paying more attention now or if it's just a strong period for the genre lately
― dyl, Monday, 5 April 2021 20:31 (three years ago) link
(i am definitely paying more consistent attention than i used to)
amapiano has been going from strength to strength for the two years since it entered the SA mainstream. I’m pretty sure that if you’re loving this year’s output you’ll find lots and lots to love in 2020 and 2019 amapiano as well
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Monday, 5 April 2021 20:56 (three years ago) link
Tresor has a fantastic album out with Kabza & Maphorisa - get thee to the Tresor thread!
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 9 April 2021 21:58 (three years ago) link
another slightly unexpected teamup: Makhadzi joins forces with Mlindo the Vocalist on the very pretty "Mjolo":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U4S6FxVh3E
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Friday, 9 April 2021 22:06 (three years ago) link
quite disappointed by the new Semi Tee album with MDU a.k.a TRP. it’s that tech thing again I’m afraid, which is what MDU brings to the table. hope this is a one-time collab.for a dense sound that’s actually thrilling instead of kinda boring I guess the new Team Mosha album might be the way to go, if their current hit is any indication:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMW3mL1qDzwTeam Mosha ft. Mapara A Jazz & Colano • Phuzi Mali Yakho
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 10 April 2021 11:09 (three years ago) link
Friday night driving in my car in Washington DC area the DJ doing a late night special mix on the commercial station that plays r’n’b and some rap ( old school not trap) played a version of “Jerusalema “ and then Beenie Man “Rum and Red Bull.” Then the next night I was at a club seeing a southern soul band ( current southern soul with keyboard and congas and not just retro) Hardway Connection. After their 2nd set , the DJ played “Jerusalema “, and lots of the crowd ( many Black women) started to line dance to it.
― curmudgeon, Monday, 23 January 2023 22:02 (one year ago) link