DJ Mr JazziQ is widely regarded as one of the world’s pioneers and forerunners of the Amapiano sound.
Mr. JazziQ, a Johannesburg-based producer and DJ who is part of JazziDisciples, is regarded as one of the pioneers of Amapiano, a hybrid of deep house, jazz, and kwaito, a South African dance music that arose in the 1990s.
With a string of hits with fellow Amapiano stars Focalistic, DJ Maphorisa, and Kabza De Small, as well as regular collaborations with just about everyone else, he is driving the genre’s charge into the mainstream.
Quick fact
Tumelo Manyoni known professionally as Mr JazziQ, is a South African Amapiano DJ and record producer.
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He is best known for being a member of the amapiano DJ duo, JazziDisciples.
Overview
Amapiano’s rhythm oscillates between laid back and mid-tempo, with booming basslines, loads of synths, and soulful piano or flute melodies, slower and more subdued than West African Afrobeats and Afropop.
Because amapiano is a relatively new genre, it has allowed for unrestricted expression and an investigation of sounds, presentations, and influences that are indicative of the creation of anything new.
This freshness and eagerness to learn contrasts with what’s happening in other popular genres such as R&B, pop, and hip-hop, where songs have become formulaic, calculating, and predictable.
Despite the fact that it has been present since 2012, it had a surge in popularity in 2020.
Mr JazziQ has been working relentlessly in the local scene to transform it into the bustling cultural epicenter it is today, and he’s accomplished remarkable progress in only a few short years.
He launched his debut album, 0303, in March of last year, and it created a slew of hit singles, two of which were certified Gold in South Africa, including “Askies,” a collaboration with another South African singer, Moonchild Sanelly.