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

I have to say, it would help if the vast majority of ama tracks weren't by a list of artists as long as my arm. I know that's a big ask, but How am I supposed to remember "Hamba Nobani by Boohle, Busta 929, Reece Madiisa and Zuma", let alone shout it in someone's ear when they ask what it is on acrowded dancefloor ;-)

you could just go by the way I labelled them in the options menu 🤷🏻‍♂️

True, I think it's just cos I normally look at them on Spotify which makes it look like there's a LOT going on

there’s a PIANO RIOT going on!

I have to say, (and this is typical of me), I do love the ama tracks with fricking massive rolling bassy logdrum workouts like Lerato La Bass, John Vulli Gate and 9 Days

xp dog latin, you can always shorthand it as title/producer or title/lead vocalist, which is what i do

Excellent thread! Bravo, and thanks for giving us ample time to explore the selections.

Amapiano is getting some love in Atlanta these days. I haven’t made it to a club night yet, DJ Lag sadly had to cancel his scheduled gig.

Yes! Thank you for this!

I have lots of listening to do before casting vote.

Popping out of lurkerdom to thank you for this, breastcrawl.

happy to help to delurk, etc. immerse yourself and enjoy!

this is a high value poll that i'm looking forward to participating in.

I am three tracks into this playlist and have hit the spotify heart thing twice. Thanks for organizing!

Cheers, breastcrawl! I definitely got overwhelmed by this scene and gave up on following it, so this is a much-appreciated intervention. When I gripe about track/album lengths, ultimately it's because I know I'm missing good stuff and it's aggravating.

I think I've liked every Vigro Deep track I've ever heard, though I don't know anything about...him/her/them? I love how SA house always has room to basically just be jazz for a few minutes.

I feel you there rob. Luckily I've noticed a lot of tracks these days seem to be a little shorter. That said, there is an undeniable uniformity within the style that means it can take a short while for a track to kick in and become itself. I also find it's quite rare for a tune to reveal itself as a classic on the very first listen - usually takes a couple of listens but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Enjoying "Qo Qo Qo" today and "Bathini" (the latter is reminding me of Soul II Soul or Masters At Work for some reason).

not to distract from the banquet of this poll, but the recent Kabza album, KOA II Part 1, bc has mentioned here and there did sound rather good when I gave it half a listen (actually more like 10% of a listen, but it's 130 minutes long!)

there’s two KOA II tracks in this poll

I love how SA house always has room to basically just be jazz for a few minutes

the latter is reminding me of Soul II Soul or Masters At Work for some reason).

this stuff all starts with a similar loop and then gets under your skin, doesn't it

Yep yep yep

in the light of current events, we have seen fit to ordain a 64-day amapiano listening period, lasting until the 12th day of November. you may start your session now. long live the kings and queens of piano!

I played Lerato La Bass by Teno Afrika at my little pub gig last night and was surprised to have someone come up and tell me it was their favourite tune. My co-DJ who wasn't familiar with amapiano was also interested and asked if it was UK funky

a lot of bangers from 2019 on Vol 1 of this compilation too ("Amapiano Is A Lifestyle") : more instrumentals & less loungey than 2022, maybe?

https://open.spotify.com/album/4kT9zRCiOmBRiZj8gFcuVx

Vol.2 2020

https://open.spotify.com/album/47MC1i2wbd9e5wmEmgyGcx

^ maybe this is indicative of the evolution towards today's sound?

I have to say, (and this is typical of me), I do love the ama tracks with fricking massive rolling bassy logdrum workouts like Lerato La Bass, John Vulli Gate and 9 Days

more instrumentals & less loungey than 2022, maybe? maybe this is indicative of the evolution towards today's sound?

Great, thank you for that.

so… has anyone discovered any new favourites yet?

Still making my way through all of these!

keep us posted if you like - would be nice!

I have to go to those two compilations I linked to every now and then because the multiple vocalist/loungey tracks in the poll get a bit much after a while for my tastes - maybe I'm just too cheap & more into the easy bangers :-)

great list, thanks breastcrawl
especially loved "paris" and "feeling" on first listen
will put it on repeat this weekend

Paris is such a banger.

Yep 'Paris' is a highlight for me as well ('Feeling' too), think I'm going to vote for 'Crush Yam' though.

So far leaning towards voting “Uzozisola” by Mas Musiq or “Risasekile” by Aymos, but really there are at least six others I'm really enjoying and playing a lot

great thread

looks like the Aymos (singer) and Mas Musiq (producer) combo is your thing, PP! they have done plenty more stuff together

Ah, cool! I'm gonna investigate further. I think I am gravitating, probably predictably, to the house-ier sounding stuff. I'm gonna check out Auti 'eSharp next.

good choice! last year’s Aymos album Yimi Lo is also very good

I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon this thread. This music is very exciting to me. Prior to this, my only exposure to even the word amapiano was that Teno Afrika LP, which I love, but it sounds like the style has evolved a lot since then. breastcrawl, would you say this is accurate?

I’m happy this thread is making you happy! it’s just the piano way.

short answer to your question: see my post of five days ago - but I intend to reply more extensively when I have more time

Ah, cool. Sorry, I thought I read this entire thread but somehow missed that bit about Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa and Scorpion Kings. There's so much to explore here.

deffo also more on the banger side of love for this genre but Crush Yam is SO GREAT. still got a ton more listening to do...

so.... who or what is GABOR ? it's being shouted in at least two songs ("Baby Are You Coming" by ZERO12FINEST feat. THAMAGNIFICENT2, from another thread) and Eningi from this list too

https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/Yhe4i6VYB_SIJRg1DW69ui8OzeQJNAKelKXuXqpEgFkvJkXCHk8yNJ_7vvCGwR4ZwOI

https://media.s-bol.com/x20wMMj1Vopr/G5z7XPr/1200x1187.jpg

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQf32nn9Yn-GBM4ouBSPkv21Thm1n6YO7Yljw&usqp=CAU

‘Yebo!’ is the isiZulu word for yesssss!

oooh! thank!

Paris is such a rip off from LiYoshona ! Haha. I guess it tells something about Amapiano that they're like two sides (one smooth, on raw) of the same collective-minded coin.

This is a cool exercise, you could easily redo it with another cool set of 27 songs. I'm not sure if breastcrawl set a specific timeframe for this, 2021-22 ? I think I knee-jerk voted for Mmapula whose long icy atmospheric layers stand out in any playlist (another pair here with Isphithiphithi), but I've also fallen behind quite badly. Recent Amapiano songs I've played a lot are Ngixolele (Busta 929), Kancane (Musa Keys), SETE (K.O), Sengizwile (Mas Musiq).

listened right through. lots of it is way too lounge/ soulful for me but i would buy / play these ones in a shot -

“Crush Yam” by T-Man
“Gijima (Vocal Mix)” by DJ Black Low - the only one I knew already.
Jozi Night” by GemValleyMusiQ
“Korobela” by DJ Sumbody
“Trigger” by DJ Karri
Xigubhu” by Welle SA
“Ziwa Ngale” by Kabza De Small

first thought still the best thought so gonna vote “Crush Yam” by T-Man.

thanks for this!

my father had some imported "learn zulu" tapes in the days prior to apartheid that he got to better understand some of the iscathamiya tracks he had on heavy repeat but they appeared to be entirely for afrikaners to communicate with the help more effectively. the main thing that stuck was "yebo mama"/"yebo baba" which became shorthand around the house.

Okay Paris is pretty incredible.

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

oh hell yeah didn't realize there was a new dj black low album

Interested in the Black Low album but I wasn't especially moved by the promo track. I know it has its detractors but '9 Days' always got a great response from home crowds when I played it out so I'm hoping he does something similarly remarkable - I'm not asking for Skrillexy cross-over bangers so much as something to make it stand out

Okay, I'm definitely enjoying this so far

That's a good urban soundscape, could do with Focalistic but fine as it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXIqQq8sTxo
Shaunmusiq, Ftears, Xduppy (feat. Myztro, Mellow & Sleazy, Quayr Music, Matute Boy) - Bhebha

Punishing and enveloping bass, cool percussion, bonus points for it sounding like they're saying Bieber

So far, Sam Deep deserves every song of his posted and that means Impumelelo too

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKjxbWMOS_w
Sam Deep & Emoh feat Da Muziqal Chef - Impumelelo

In Amapiano circles you win a game of chess when all other pieces than the king have been knocked down :D

this is nigerian but feels so ama informed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYC8Ru3v3pw

I've been noticing there's one line that keeps coming back in SO many amapiano songs and after a couple attempts at writing it down and googling... "Ase Trap Ke Pina Tsa Ko Kasi" - still not sure if it's at least every track with/by/feat. Focalistic and/or Busta 929 - and there's a story too https://www.timeslive.co.za/tshisa-live/tshisa-live/2021-03-25-listen--focalistic-reflects-on-how-saying-a-se-trap-ke-pina-tsa-ko-kasi-changed-his-life/

Reviving the thread, even though I am only now trying to catch up. Not a bad time to post Kilimanjaro after I hesitated to highlight it and in the meantime it has gained a lot of plays.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NvTakC15GU
Pcee, Sgija'Disciples & Zan'Ten (feat. Justin99, Mema_percent, Mr Jazziq) - Kilimanjaro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZKYu8myqQY
Mellow & Sleazy & TmanXpress (feat. Keynote) - Kwelinye

Chley + a guy saying yayaya =

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqSuJyey7gk
Uncle Waffles, Tony Duardo & Justin99 feat. Pcee, EeQue, Chley - Yahyuppiyah

Let's pretend breastcrawl is still around and posted this some months ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9wscBKc1GE
Lady Amar, JL SA, Cici & Murumba Pitch - Hamba Juba

Focalistic always bringing something fresh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4e3s0PKSFI
Focalistic, Eeque & Thama Tee - Khekheleza (Dlala Dlala)

^The transverse flute is so out of place, and there are other weird sounds, and yet I think it works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF6yO71AAYg
Pcee feat. Mr JazziQ, Umthakathi Kush, Sizwe Alakine - Ngenza ngama bomu

Pcee is one of those pure builders, heavy on atmosphere like Busta 929. His discography is pretty flawless so far (ZoTata, Johnny Ke Johnny, Kilimanjaro, Yahyuppiyah, this). The more I hear Amapiano sung by men, the closer I see the relation with hip hop (the dark jazzy minimalism, the rap-speak-singing MCs), only Amapiano does this abstract soundscaping. We get more women taking part in this style too, instead of sticking closer to house. Well, we've always said there were two Amapianos.

Made a playlist with my 25 fave Amapiano tracks this year : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3kHZeCc8BFVlh6pE53kIzu?si=4f4026a8fb41489c

Thank you lots

I'd love an amapiano EOY poll for 2023 in this style if breastcrawl or someone would be willing to run it?

Mnike is hard to best this year

https://davidbyrne.com/radio/david-byrne-radio-presents-south-africa-musical-powerhouse

Mnike is fine but in no way my favourite this year

«fine» he said