Afrobeat vibe of ‘Wakanda Forever’ soundtrack spotlights African music
Marvel’s Black Panther is once again roaring in multiplexes with “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and there will be much internet ink spilled over what life must be like in the fictional kingdom of Wakanda, a peaceful, techforward Black society that is also keenly aware of its roots and traditions.
Part of that involves music, as director Ryan Coogler and composer Ludwig Göransson put a lot of effort into what Wakanda sounds like, with the soundtrack including contributions from Houston’s Tobe and Fat Nwigwe as well as some of the hottest names in Nigerian Afrobeat (CKay, Fireboy DML, Tems and Burna
Boy among them).
With any luck, the spotlight on Nigerian rhythms might spill over to another form of African music on the “Wakanda” soundtrack: South African Afro-pop, Afro-house and amapiano, as represented by DBN Gogo and Young Stunna’s infectious “Jele.” It’s a style that is the most popular in South Africa right now and has attracted the attention of some of Nigeria’s superstars, including Burna Boy, who called amapiano “worth the hype” and declared “it’s going to change your life.”
So, if the big cat and friends are going out for a night of partying in Wakanda, it’s easy to imagine them winding down to Afrobeat but also South African Afro-pop and amapiano, an eclectic brand of dance music the combines the easy grooves of contemporary Afrobeat with a wider array of influences and sounds from across the diaspora as well as a sense of history, ranging from deep house and lounge to jazz, R&B, pop, South African choral traditions and skittering African guitars.
You may have already heard a version of amapiano and not even known it. Two years ago, at the height of the pandemic, Master KG’s “Jerusalema” became a viral global sensation among the quarantined, largely thanks to the dance-challenge video that spawned a myriad of global imitators.
But amapiano is more than a TikTok dance fad, even though it is all over TikTok. Such producers/DJs as Sun-El Musician, Prince Kaybee, Mthunzi, DJ Hlo and Mas Musiq as well as singers like Azana, Msaki and Simmy build on the style, incorporating it in their Afro-pop/Afrohouse blend of sinewy grooves, nonelectronic embellishments (piano, guitar, horns), melodies both melancholic and soaring paired with a lyrical sense of survival, strength and positivity and — unlike some other dance music forms where singing is an afterthought, if that — the beauty of a soulful voice.
It’s no accident that the style is called amapiano, a word that is Zulu for “the pianos,” as the songs are often built with the sounds of traditional instruments. Take Sun-El Musician’s rhapsodic, symphonic and
six-minute “Ngiwelele,” the first two minutes of which are only a powerful voice and a swell of strings. It then morphs into a musical nod to Nat King Cole’s 1948 hit “Nature Boy” before launching into an easygoing rhythm and lyrics that speak of acknowledging one’s ancestors. It doesn’t get much more Wakanda than that.
Or take DJ Hlo’s “Isibani,” built on a cloud of choral vocals and sparkling guitar, that feels as refreshing as an ocean wave in summer and as pure as a prayer in church. Or Prince Kaybee’s soulfully minimalist “Breakfast in Soweto,” a track whose rhythm is enhanced by the sounds of piano and guitar.
So, chances are that even those who are hostile to contemporary dance music will find something to like in the current wave coming out of South Africa. Here are 11 acts from the worlds of South African amapiano, Afro-pop and house music to check out when you want to get your Wakanda groove on. And we have a Spotify playlist, “Best of South African Amapiano, Afro-Pop and House Music,” with even more selections.
Sun-El Musician
His real name is Sinele Sithole but, considering how radiant and warm his music can be, “Sun” seems more appropriate. This is African music by someone with a sense of the past but with an eye for tomorrow. He has released two essential albums, “Africa to the World” (2018) and “To the World and Beyond” (2020), and the solid but lesser “African Electronic Dance Music” (2021).
Prince Kaybee
This performer scored some airplay in the U.S. with the soulful, you-only-live-once house anthem “Fetch Your Life,” featuring a lead vocal from Msaki at her most seductive. But he is much more than one track as his most recent album, “Gemini” (2022), and his earlier “The 4th Republic” (2021) and “Re Mmino” (2019), show. He can veer from the sax-drenched jazz-pop of “Jazz According to House” to the Black Pumas-by-way-of-thedance-floor sway of “Sibemunye” without breaking a sweat.
Kabza de Small
A major producer/DJ in the amapiano scene, Kabza de Small — who was named No. 18 on the Forbes Africa 30 under 30 list — makes swinging, jazzy takes on the form with such tracks as “Sponono” (featuring Nigerians Burna
Boy and Wiz Kid) and “Khusela.”
Black Coffee
This producer/DJ creates jazzy, laid-back house music that has turned him into a global name. After winning a Grammy for best dance album this year (“Subconsciously”), a recording that included guests Pharrell Williams and David Guetta, he’s certainly the bestknown South African musical export at the moment.
Msaki
There seems to be a coterie of female singers that appear on a lot of South African tracks (including Simmy, Nobuhle, Azana and Ami Faku) who bring a sense of seductive soul to the music. One of the best is Msaki, who not only has worked with scene veterans Sun-El Musician, Prince Kaybee, Tresor, Black Motion and Kabza de Small but even Cape Town indie-rockers Beatenberg. She released a striking solo album, “Platinumb Heart Beating,” last year.
Mthunzi
This young singer released his first album, the lush “Selimathunzi,” in 2020 and immediately became a favorite in South African Afro-pop circles. Such tracks as “Vuka,” and “Insimbi” are absolutely irresistible.
DJ Zinhle
One of the cool things about amapiano and the SA scene in general is the number of female DJs, including DJ Zinhle, whose uptempo grooves echoing South African musical history could even get the dead to dance.
DBN Gogo
Here’s another female DJ whose stripped-down amapiano has made her one of the genre’s best-known acts. Now that she’s on the “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” soundtrack, she’s going to be known outside the borders of South Africa.
Black Motion
This Johannesburg housemusic duo sports a wide sonic palette, ranging from Latin house (”Ven Pa Ka”) to tribal Afrobeat (”Beat of Africa”) and jazz (”Everything”), making these guys one of the most eclectic and persuasive groups in the scene.
Tresor
This Congolese-born, South African-based singer-songwriter crafts a particularly winning brand of Afro-pop deeply rooted in African rhythms but also with a keen sense of pop songcraft.
Ami Faku
She’s not only the singer on various South African tracks but also appears on songs from the Kenya production collective known as EA Wave. Check out her 2019 album “Imali” and the recent singles “Abelele” and “Fatela” for her expressive and captivating take on Afro-electro.