one of these tracks is "Banyana" from DJ Maphorisa & Tyler ICU's new EP, see the Kabza/Emcimbini thread.
there's also several from the number one album in SA right now, Mr JazziQ's Party With The English, with "Woza" (see upthread) the biggest hit of those.
this is just one of the many killer tracks on that mysteriously titled (or is it?) album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFqnn_BCRFIMr JazziQ ft. Kabza De Small, Zuma & Reece Madlisa • Le Tin
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Sunday, 25 April 2021 13:26 (three years ago) link
I would not have found it by myself despite listening to the album some weeks ago, but that vocal line in Banyana is straight from Afro-Colombia (Bullerengue): El Pescador. Interesting intercontinental dialogue here.
― Nabozo, Sunday, 25 April 2021 14:16 (three years ago) link
ah, I saw it mentioned that it was a cover, meant to investigate later.
actually there’s a much more direct connection, “El Pescador” was turned into an international club hit in 2009 by Michel Cleis, under the title of “La Mezcla”. a remix by Charles Webster (British, but active in the SA house scene as well) was/is very popular in South Africa:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvShTiE1QOMMichel Cleis ft. Totó La Momposina • La Mezcla (Charles Webster's Club Mix)
(more about TotĂł La Momposina's legacy here)
Someone else in amapiano land had the same idea as Maphorisa::
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsNikc-5iYsDJ Melzi ft. Mkeyz & Mphow69 • La Melza
Melzi may have been first actually, his version’s been around since December last year at least.
“Banyana” for comparison:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39xp8P40eyYDJ Maphorisa & Tyler ICU ft. Sir Trill, Daliwonga & Kabza De Small • Banyana
I played both these tracks today and didn’t notice the similarity – also I’m sure I’ve heard “La Mezcla” out back in the day, but didn’t make the connection.
― Blick, Bils & Blinky • Let's Skip The Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Sunday, 25 April 2021 15:41 (three years ago) link
love this fantastic amapiano (sort of) comeback by veteran rapper Khuli Chana:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nMVq4M8umsKhuli Chana ft. Tyler ICU, Stino Le Thwenny & Lady Du • Buyile
scenes
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 27 April 2021 11:49 (two years ago) link
from the ILM awesome oldies archive:
Khuli Chana • Mahamba Yedwa/Mo Tsipe (2015)
Khuli Chana ft. Sho Madjozi, DJ Buckz & Shareen • Tlekeke (2017)
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 27 April 2021 12:05 (two years ago) link
this thread also desperately needs some kuru kuru kuru kuruku-chiki-chiki-chi (qo qo):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naiD6DfQKrEMusa Keys ft. Sir Trill & Nobantu Vilakazi • Vula Mlomo
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Tuesday, 27 April 2021 12:23 (two years ago) link
hard-hitting - keeping gqom current:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tb5YsE2lUcSkillz ft. DJ Tira, Mampintsha, Beast & General C'mamane • Inhlokohlela
smooth - this would previously have gone to the Sun-El thread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMKGzdFoLeEShimza ft. Darque & Sino Msolo • Kethiwe
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 1 May 2021 19:41 (two years ago) link
told you I'm a boss you've ignored that - yes, Muzi's always been very good:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjBtguG6JDIMuzi • Interblaktic
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 8 May 2021 22:13 (two years ago) link
are you that Sumbody?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t16VuAYgFUADJ Sumbody ft. Drip Gogo & The Lowkeys • Iyamemeza
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Wednesday, 12 May 2021 06:53 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMKi85xkgtwFocalistic and Mr JazziQ - GUPTA feat. Lady Du, Mellow & Sleazy
― Nabozo, Wednesday, 12 May 2021 19:07 (two years ago) link
GUPTA owns my soul right now.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 13 May 2021 18:21 (two years ago) link
Also... Liyoshona, not to mention Banyana.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 13 May 2021 18:40 (two years ago) link
hold up - no one has posted de mthuda's gorgeous John Wick yet?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06_9LOj75g4
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Thursday, 13 May 2021 18:55 (two years ago) link
holy hell at “Gupta”
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Thursday, 13 May 2021 19:37 (two years ago) link
Proper beat and chorushttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBQx5O0_PIoKhuli Chana feat. Tyler ICU, Stino Le Thwenny, & Lady Du - Buyile
Se ka buyileSeng'shiya more, and ziwa more, wang' feel-a moreWa tseba, wa tsebaBanana bantshwere ma ayi yeboAyi yebo, ayi yebo, ayi yebo!
― Nabozo, Sunday, 16 May 2021 10:14 (two years ago) link
Of course it was already posted :) my bad. Let's say it was for the video.
― Nabozo, Sunday, 16 May 2021 10:21 (two years ago) link
The new Vigro Deep album, Baby Boy 4, is good. Here's "Take It Slow" with Sha Sha:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUYpxUG8OuQ
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Sunday, 16 May 2021 20:45 (two years ago) link
Slowly trying to piece-together an amapiano-and-adjacent playlist to convert my dancehall and soca-loving friends that amapiano isn't all endless shaker-intros and polite, un-kinetic rhythms. Need things with strong hooks and big donks. This si what I have so far: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Aq1aR62T7j0pWqGBF975F?si=2de5fbee91524a95 What's missing?
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Tuesday, 25 May 2021 12:22 (two years ago) link
actually Take It Slow should be on there (can't find a spotty link though)
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Tuesday, 25 May 2021 12:24 (two years ago) link
tyla - "getting late"busiswa - "makazi"busta 929 - "ekseni"
"skeleton move"'s genre is bolo house if you want to find more in that vein specifically, i don't think it's that closely related to amapiano but i'm sure there's crossover these days
― ufo, Tuesday, 25 May 2021 12:38 (two years ago) link
prince kaybee - "banomoya"sho madjozi - "jamani"
― ufo, Tuesday, 25 May 2021 12:44 (two years ago) link
ah, didn't know about "bolo house" although clearly it's a slightly different beast. I'm conscious Sk'Ngiding is from Mozambique, but it certainly sounds in line with the other tunes. It's one of my faves
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Tuesday, 25 May 2021 13:09 (two years ago) link
thanks for the recommendations, will take a listen!
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Tuesday, 25 May 2021 13:10 (two years ago) link
amapiano has certainly spread far beyond just south africa now, there's been a bunch of nigerian amapiano tracks lately (though i don't remember them off the top of my head)
― ufo, Tuesday, 25 May 2021 13:27 (two years ago) link
whole lot of examples if you search this year's afrobeats thread, i need to catch up on them all
― ufo, Tuesday, 25 May 2021 13:32 (two years ago) link
the dj black low songs i posted upthread fit the bill, imo: "9 days," "jaiva low," "emonate oe bethela de vosho"
― the mai tai quinn (voodoo chili), Tuesday, 25 May 2021 13:35 (two years ago) link
I'd forgotten how much I love "Majesty" by Busiswa and DJ Tunez. What a track!
Loving the Sho Madjozi track. I'd heard some of her other stuff and really enjoyed it but it wasn't in the amapiano style.
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Tuesday, 25 May 2021 13:39 (two years ago) link
you're not wrong about DJ Black Low. I love this weird rippling almost drill'n'bassy thing the producers are doing at the moment
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Tuesday, 25 May 2021 13:41 (two years ago) link
― Long Tall Arsetee & the Shaker Intros (breastcrawl), Saturday, 29 May 2021 15:46 (two years ago) link
So the word in business circles and speculators is that Amapiano will take over the UK soon: https://www.okayafrica.com/amapiano-uk-summer-sound-opinion/Number one amapiano song right now in SA from the household rap name featuring Boohle prominently.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnzy7Vtw7C0Cassper Nyovest feat. Abidoza & Boohle - Siyathandana
― Nabozo, Sunday, 6 June 2021 14:59 (two years ago) link
yeah that one's really good
i remember this being one of the posts from after the 2019 trax poll when we were wondering how contemporary south african dance music still hadn't made its international break:
one of you folk should do a proposal for a show on nts, seriously. even just a one off― ymo sumac (NickB), Sunday, February 2, 2020 1:47 PM (one year ago)
― ymo sumac (NickB), Sunday, February 2, 2020 1:47 PM (one year ago)
nowadays it seems like nts has been playing amapiano to some extent since late last year, and their latest call for prospective resident djs lists amapiano among the genres in which they are seeking genre specialists
so... maybe it's happening?
― dyl, Sunday, 6 June 2021 18:23 (two years ago) link
sa dance music did have an international hit last year with "jerusalema"
would make sense if amapiano has a breakthrough soon in the uk via west africa etc.
― ufo, Sunday, 6 June 2021 19:11 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKO12nnAvrEAymos - Jemeni feat. Focalistic
Which will be the first track of his first album in September, Yimi Lo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00j7CQRr2bkDzo 729, Guyu Pane and YoungStunner - Ba Xolele
The softest hit of this year ?
― Nabozo, Monday, 21 June 2021 18:30 (two years ago) link
Apartheid is getting further and further back in timeNow for something (not quite) completely different:https://www.noformat.net/album-urban-village-udondolo-78-en.html
The name Urban Village does not just tap into Marshall McLuhan’s image of a global village brought together by telecommunications tech. The name also references how Soweto was created. During apartheid, Black South Africans were brought to the area for work. With them, they brought pieces of their original villages. This helped create a new culture that became a sprawling urban village. Into this melting pot four musicians were raised and met. Guitarist Lerato Lichaba met singer/flautist Tubatsi Mpho Moloi at local jam sessions. Then they hooked up with drummer Xolani Mtshali and bassist Simangaliso Dlamini and Urban Village was formed. [The Quietus]
― Nabozo, Thursday, 1 July 2021 13:15 (two years ago) link
I'm sure breastcrawl has introduced something like this and had a cool name for it, but this sounds like South Africa being influenced back by Naijapiano.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w3a52eOC5ICIZA - Carolina feat. Major League DJz & Abidoza
― Nabozo, Wednesday, 14 July 2021 18:31 (two years ago) link
And since I'm on the subject of interesting variations on Amapiano, check this massive track that mixes a Swiss flag, slow house and this familiar Zulu word.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pG3YITIKGcDr Duda, Mr JazziQ & Kings Of The Surface - Amandla feat Jessica LM
To which you shall always respond "awethu" to complete the revolutionary cry: power to us the people. Dr Duda has an EP to go with it.
― Nabozo, Wednesday, 14 July 2021 18:57 (two years ago) link
Let's see what we can post to wake this house up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjPK4YpxxFYDlala Thukzin - Phuze feat. Zaba
There's a short remix with Sir Trill, Mpura and Rascoe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br7ek7iOMX8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xWd-SpMo0YDj Tarico & Burna Boy - Yaba Buluku (Remix)
― Nabozo, Saturday, 17 July 2021 13:37 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKpr1WyYdIQDe Mthuda & Ntokzin - Jola feat. Malumnator & Sino Msolo
― Nabozo, Sunday, 18 July 2021 19:11 (two years ago) link
This is a lovely remix of an electro-pop track by Jo'Burg duo Lemon & Herb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Qe4Aia7EA
Nico de Andrea Feat Darla Jade - Ghost in Me (Lemon & Herb Remix)
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Monday, 19 July 2021 15:10 (two years ago) link
Cover of the current Makhadzi hit and it's way betterhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y60avQjxBEUSdala B & Paige - Ghanama
Busta 929 returning with 10 tracks. Out of the ones available so far, I'm feeling this instrumental 'ambient' Amapiano. You could put this in a film.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEdi3BPOyEcBusta 929 - Heartbreakers
― Nabozo, Monday, 26 July 2021 07:38 (two years ago) link
one of you folk should do a proposal for a show on nts, seriously. even just a one off
― dyl, Sunday, June 6, 2021 2:23 PM (one month ago) bookmarkflaglink
― ufo, Sunday, June 6, 2021 3:11 PM (one month ago)
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/various-artists-amapiano-now/
― rob, Thursday, 29 July 2021 12:50 (two years ago) link
Amapiano awesomeness thread has recent Billboard & Rolling stone links
Thread for the AmaPiano awesomeness that is “Baby Are You Coming?” by Zero12finest feat. ThaMagnificent2
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 29 July 2021 17:40 (two years ago) link
Oh thanks, I missed those.
The RS piece is really good*, but I'm a little puzzled by the NTS/pfork/ATfA/Billboard narrative of amapiano being some kind of raw underground phenomenon, like they can only conceive of African music in those terms even when it's super massively popular by any metric (with AfRoBeAtS awkwardly serving as a big pop Other?). Idk maybe this is a UK perspective thing? I assume West African stuff is prominent there in a way it simply isn't here in Montreal.
* though... "Last July, after four months of enduring the pandemic in South Africa, Moma went to Zanzibar, Tanzania, where restrictions were lax. There, he finished his own take on amapiano, an EP called MomaPiano, inspired by American R&B from the Nineties and early aughts. He also found a new residency at a beach club, where his amapiano sets became a raging success." Hmmmmmmm.
― rob, Thursday, 29 July 2021 18:39 (two years ago) link
those articles just seem to be emphasising the genre's origins without then also emphasising just how huge & commercially successful it is now in south africa?
― ufo, Friday, 30 July 2021 00:25 (two years ago) link
"heartbreakers" is cool, reminds me of massive attack
― ufo, Friday, 30 July 2021 04:22 (two years ago) link
Yeah it's definitely the kind of grave house music you listen to in your sofahttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-ITxUqtA9YBusta 929 feat. Mzu M - Mmapula
― Nabozo, Sunday, 29 August 2021 14:12 (two years ago) link
Jorja Smith makes it work
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzGIAhqlblMJorja Smith & GuiltyBeatz - All of This
― Nabozo, Sunday, 29 August 2021 14:36 (two years ago) link
lol all the comments deriding "all of this" for not being pure enough amapiano and complaining it's not a south african producer behind it
― ufo, Monday, 30 August 2021 00:52 (two years ago) link
Yeah I saw that, some people are fiercely defensive. And conflicted: lol at the "export control quality" posture, all the while still seemed to like the idea of having Jorja Smith's vocals on an Amapiano track. One thing that is true is that it's hard to hear this as a "blue lights" type of r&b, I can only hear it as amapiano.
― Nabozo, Monday, 30 August 2021 06:30 (two years ago) link
Cassper Nyovest feat. Abidoza & Boohle - Siyathandana
― Nabozo, Sunday, June 6, 2021 9:59 AM (two months ago) bookmarkflaglink
just heard this for the first time and wooow what a banger
― grove street (party) direction (voodoo chili), Friday, 3 September 2021 14:29 (two years ago) link