Zakes Bantwini | Mixmag Lab Cape Town | Bridges For Music x AlphaTheta
Today, just a little something for your ears. Enjoy this mix from Zakes Bantwini, recorded last week (Mixmag Lab - Cape Town). https://youtu.be/DJ1wzfHeMa0?si=GFdiJvMkrJsRbsSF
DBN Gogo: connecting the dots (DJ Mag)
DBN Gogo is the godmother of amapiano. Whether through the stories she tells in her sets and releases, or the wisdom she shares to help young artists navigate the industry, she’s a source of inspiration for many and a driving force in South African electronic music. DJ Mag’s Ria Hylton learns where she got [...]
February Cover Interview: How Lungelihle Zwane became Uncle Waffles (Rolling Stone Africa)
The Princess of Amapiano, shares her journey in an exclusive interview for Rolling Stone Africa's February digital cover. Born Lungelihle Zwane on March 30, 2000, in Eswatini, Uncle Waffles grew up surrounded by the infectious sounds of South African house music. Her journey into DJing began in 2020 during the lockdown, a time she [...]
Artist of the Month: Major League DJz (Beatportal)
Beatport chats with South African trailblazers Major League DJz on the continent’s Afro house renaissance, shifting soundscapes and the “African Dream.” Over time, Bandile and Banele Mbere have managed to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to pivotal ebbs and flows within the music industry, catching each new wave just in [...]
Black Coffee Celebrates Successful Charity Concert for South African Children (EDM.com)
The fundraising event also featured a performance from the pioneering Amapiano duo Major League DJz. Black Coffee, South Africa's most illustrious DJ, used his international platform to give back to the youth of his country. Earlier in the month of November, the house music superstar brought together DJs and other local celebrities to St [...]
Explore the Essence of South Africa’s Electronic Music Scene with Shamiso (Beatportal)
Ahead of her performance at Miller & Beatport's 'Miller Mix' show in Johannesburg on December 7th, rising African dance music DJ Shamiso introduces us to some of her country's most innovative and soul-stirring tracks. I am extremely thrilled to share this playlist with you. I have created a mix that honours Afrocentric rhythms, which [...]
Deep House Amsterdam Interview with Zakes Bantwini (Deep House Amsterdam)
Deep House Amsterdam Interview with Zakes Bantwini Hi Zakes! Great to have you with us. How are you and how has your year been? Z: I’m doing well, it has been a busy year, I am working on a lot of new projects that I’m super excited about. Let’s jump right in! How did you [...]
AMAPIANO’S SECOND WAVE: HOW INNOVATIONS EMERGE FROM BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN CULTURE (MIXMAG)
In South Africa, where inequality is rife, young and underprivileged producers are pushing the evolution of amapiano. In the second instalment of our three-part series documenting Amapiano's Second Wave, Jake Colvin explores how community generosity and collaboration helps artists innovate amid challenging conditions This article is the second in a three part-series about amapiano, exploring [...]
AMAPIANO’S SECOND WAVE: HOW KWAITO OPENED THE DOOR FOR AMAPIANO’S EVOLUTIONS (MIXMAG)
Amapiano’s lineage can be traced back to the kwaito music which emerged in apartheid South Africa. In the first of a three-part series exploring Amapiano's Second Wave, Jake Colvin examines what those roots mean for the sound today THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT “Amapiano is winning all over the gaff,” Marcus Nasty tells me. “But where it [...]
What Is 3-Step, South Africa’s Latest House Movement? Here Are 12 Essential Tracks (Resident Advisor)
Pioneered by Thakzin and co-signed by Kaytranada, this twist on Afro house combines elements of amapiano, Afro tech and broken beat. Shiba Melissa Mazaza charts the genre's rise. It was a sweltering December evening in Johannesburg and I was perched onstage behind a speaker, only arm's length from the decks. All around me, a [...]