The rise of Amapiano in the International music scene has been a blessing to watch; a feat achieved as a result of the immense work South African artists, the originators have put into it.
The South African music scene has been been the birthing place of many sounds that have dominated the continent over the years, its youngest musical sibling, Amapiano has become more than just a sound for many of its artists.
The exact Zulu meaning of Amapiano is “pianos,” however since the South African house music genre emerged from the townships of Pretoria, it has garnered worldwide popularity, bringing together the musical influences of the communities where it was born.
It has remained one of the most rapidly rising sounds, enthralling listeners in Africa and around the world.
Even though its exact township of birth is unknown, as if its birth certificate is still buried under its parents’ mattress, ‘Piano’ borrows from the country’s extensive musical archive as a uniquely South African sound.
Some folks claim ‘Piano music was born in the Gauteng province’s townships on the outskirts of cities, with a few other townships and musicians claiming to have invented the sound.
The genre first gained popularity in the ‘underground’ realm of pubs and taverns common among South Africa’s township population.
The contribution of the South African Black community to the emerging sound is unrivalled, as they emphasize the existing issues in the country’s music industry as a result of independent artists’ exclusion.
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Many folks have ended up generating their own music; some have tried to get their music out by cracking software and then sharing it through messaging apps like WhatsApp, social media, and even word of mouth.
Thanks to digital distribution and marketing technologies, Amapiano has evolved from an underground sound in South African townships to a worldwide recognized genre. Now with a sizable internet following and a whole dance culture to go with it.
The Sound
The pace of Amapiano oscillates between laid-back and mid-tempo, with booming basslines, plenty of synths, and soulful piano or flute melodies, slower and more subdued than West African Afrobeats and Afropop.
Because amapiano is such a new genre, it has allowed for unlimited expression and exploration of sounds, presentations, and inspirations that are typical of the birth of anything new.
This enthusiasm for learning contrasts with what is happening in other popular genres like R&B, pop, and hip-hop, where songs have become formulaic, calculated, and predictable.
Despite the fact that it has been around since 2012, its popularity skyrocketed in 2020.
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Some Frontliners of the Amapiano movement in South Africa
Major League DJz
Bandile and Banele Mbere, twins born in Boston, Massachusetts, migrated to South Africa at the age of five. They threw the ‘Robot Party’ when they were 16 years old, and it changed their lives forever.
Professionally, the two began their careers as promoters, hosting some of the country’s most prestigious parties.
The move into DJing started at their own parties when artists or DJs wouldn’t make it to their sets on time.
They started a movement called ‘new age Kwaito’ with their peers. According to them in an interview with Forbes, This movement was all about making Kwaito music look pretty and young. This movement also saw them transition into Amapiano.
The duo is most known for their “balcony mixes” with more than two million views on YouTube.
The Scorpion Kings (Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa)
DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small also known as The Scorpion Kings are undoubtedly the most hardworking pair in South Africa, having released six albums together since 2019, including ‘Piano Hub’ and ‘Scorpion Kings.’
They have been in the vanguard of the genre in terms of commercial success due to the high-quality songs and collaborations they have produced in such a short period of time.
They’ve not only introduced us to new musicians along the way, but they’ve also inspired an entire generation.
Kabza De Small was the most streamed South African musician on Spotify in 2019 and 2020.
With ‘I Am The King Of Amapiano: Sweet and Dust,’ ‘Scorpion Kings Live,’ and ‘The Return of the Scorpion Kings,‘ he also took the top three slots for the most streamed local albums. This is strong evidence that the general public is paying attention.
MFR Souls
MFR Souls are credited with naming the Amapiano genre and are also one of the genre’s early contributors.
They are originally from the East Rand, and their second album, ‘Musical Kings,’ was released in 2020. The album is a testament to the talent that exists in their homeland, as it features artists from there.
They’re also recognized for focusing on crafting Amapiano music with a soulful feel. However, it hasn’t hindered them from producing club bangers like ‘Amanikiniki,’ which features Kamo Mphela, Bontle Smith, and Major League DJz.
Mr JazziQ
Mr JazziQ, formerly one half of JazziDisciples, has been at this Amapiano gig for a long time and is making amazing music as well.
Mr JazziQ started making his own music after the JazziDisciples disbanded, and he hasn’t looked back since. He’s definitely been one of the busiest producers in the last year or two, other than Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa.
He’s been producing a lot of music and having a lot of features as the pandemic progressed in 2020. The most prominent features are Focalistic, Busta 929, and Reece Madlisa & Zuma.
Others
The South African Music genre has a lot of Amapiano leaders making waves not just in their hometown but also outside the shores of the country.
Some of them include Focalistic, Sha Sha, Samthing Soweto, Kamo Mphela, DBN GOGO, Cassper Nyovest, Vigro Deep, Lady Du, Soa Mattrix, Musa Keys, among others.
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Influence
Like Afrobeat, the dominant sound in Sub-Saharan Africa and the region’s biggest musical export, Amapiano has made an impact on not just its birth country but on other regions in Africa.
For example, Nigeria is one of the African countries that have adopted the sound and its artists have brought their spice to it, giving a Nigerian flavour but still retaining its core element.
Nigerian Artists like Rema, Ninola, Davido, Olamide, Phyno, Mayorkun are among the acts taking advantage of this sound.