A new sound in music, with origins in SA

Amapiano is the music trend that’s got us talking. Will it have staying power or is it just another flash in the pan? looks into the genre

SO MANY music genres have come and gone over the years. Some have stayed longer than anticipated. Others have changed over the years. Others have proved their staying power by somehow absorbing the new trends into the genre.

Right about now we are looking at a new sound that is taking over the airwaves in South Africa called “amapiano”.

Amapiano or the “yanos”, as the cool kids call it, is a house music genre that is a mix of deep house and gqom – mixed with the soulful and jazzy sound of a piano, and other classical instruments.

It’s a sound, like many in South Africa, that was pioneered by bedroom producers looking for the next thing.

Amapiano grabbed South Africa’s attention during the festive season with songs like Umshove by Kabza De Small, Gong Gong Gwam by Elusive Boy, and the biggest Amapiano song so far, Monate Mpolaye by DJ Sumbody, Cassper Nyovest, Thebe and Vettis. It caused havoc on the dance-floor and announced that amapiano is the next genre we won’t get enough off.

However, even though the genre is growing at a rapid rate, the reception, at first, was bad.

Many didn’t get the genre, which is originally from Pretoria, and the comparisons to the faster and more popular gqom, from Durban, were unavoidable.

However, the tide seems to be changing, thanks to the recent releases, which have shown that amapiano has range. Songs like Shesha Geza by De Mthuda featuring Njelic and Kokota by Kaygee Daking featuring Bizizi and Killer Kau, are also currently setting the dance floors on fire.

We spoke to a few producers about this genre, how it started and why people should pay more attention to it.

Mthuthuzeli Khoza aka De Mthuda He starting producing music seven years ago, after being influenced by multi-award winning house and dance music, DJ and producer, DJ Clock. The 22-year-old from Vosloorus, in the Gauteng East Rand, said each generation of artists or musicians always have their style of doing things, drawn from different influences in music. “So amapiano is the new generation defining their own path in the music industry for this generation,” said Khoza.

Thando Radebe aka Bantu Elements

He started producing amapiano because it was a bit difficult for him to produce deep house, and deep house was not really his thing. So the creation of amapiano came about from him having a love for jazz music.

The Soweto-born producer said amapiano music has always been there, it is just that, as local producers, they have taken the genre to another level and direction.

“We just made a sound more relevant to the South African psyche and style, hence majority of people are starting to understand amapiano. The main reason people are starting to pay attention to the genre is that the world at large is catching onto the sound now,” said Radebe.

Kabelo Motha aka Kabza De Small The rising hit maker has also played a huge role, in pushing and shaping the movement and culture of amapiano, to become what it is today. He is one of the people at the forefront of this genre of house music.

Nicknamed “The King of Amapiano”, Motha and his creations are nothing short of amazing. People always lose their minds when dancing to his tracks and mix tapes.

Oupa Sefoka aka DJ Sumbody

Then there’s DJ Sumbody, who many are calling the face of amapiano. The legendary producer is best known for his smash hits, Monate Mpolaye and Ayepyep featuring DJ Tira, Thebe, and Emza.

He helped bring amapiano to the mainstream with his creation of what he calls “amapiano-kwaito”.

Sefoka once signed under 187 Records and has released house music compilations during the early stages of his career. He is also the co-owner of the popular Ayepyep Lifestyle Lounge, situated in Pretoria.

“As someone who understands and loves house music, amapiano is unique and has a distinctively Mzansi style, hence we cannot get over the genre at the moment. Although gqom can still be heard in many DJ sets, amapiano is a whole ‘mood’ and, looking at how much South Africans love the genre, it’s only a matter a time before it’s our next big export into the music world,” said Sefoka.