In a country like South Africa, where one music genre often takes the spotlight, it’s difficult to stand out and make an impact. Amapiano has dominated the music landscape all over the country and has managed to break borders to travel to international stages. The Amapiano beats are often what we hear, from club floors…
It can be said that Africa owes its robust musical landscape to a constant interplay between genres both continental and global, an exchange propelled by artists who are ready to push the boundaries of conventional sound. In the diverse musical community of Ghana’s capital, a critical player in this genre-expansive wave is Tommy WÁ, a…
“Piano piano asisalali emakhaya, ngenxa yakho” are words everyone who listens to Amapiano, both locally and internationally, knows. Amapiano, for those who don’t know or are confused due to the noise on the net, is a South African genre of dance music that has swept the world over. The genre has lifted young people from…
On a meteoric ascent, the flourishing Nigerian R&B artist, Phaemous, in collaboration with the internationally lauded UK DJ and producer, DJames, have curated a sonic journey with their recent EP, Boundaries. Crafted across two continents, with the bustling cityscapes of Lagos and London as their backdrop, the 5-track EP elegantly bridges R&B melodies with subtle…
Gqom is an onomatopoeic sound that a drum makes, which becomes easier to reference when creating a genre that is led by drumlines. Zulu native speakers usually use this word to describe a structure that is hollow that has been banged to create an internal combustion sound. An inside look at Gqom’s own origins: Gqom was birthed by…
The LGBTQIIA+ community is often “othered” and as a result, has created a channel of expression through music they easily identify with. Hyperpop is a demonstration of how animated producers can be, adding a variety of textures to music that gives it a certain feeling. This is carried by high-pitched vocals that have been processed…
As we wrap up the latest season of Bubblegum Connects, I’ve taken it upon myself to spotlight one of this season’s standout episodes. We switched things up for this one, featuring Darkie Fiction, the influential Jozi-based musical duo. We gave them our set of questions and let them grill each other. What went down was…
Ghanaian diva TiTi Owusu graces us with her newest masterpiece, Make Me Believe (Nana). A song that pays homage to Adowa, music native to the Ashanti people of Ghana, Make Me Believe (Nana) effortlessly blends the time-honoured genre with Contemporary Pop and Ghanaian High-Life music genres. This magic was created by a collaborative team consisting…
Xenia (she/her) is in her prime. At the height of visibility, she has chosen to let down her defences and open up about her yearning for lasting love, a facet that has not featured greatly in prior releases, which have alternatively centred heartbreak and focused on the undoing of love. The Kenyan R&B heartthrob, currently…
I have a thing for drummers. I’m obsessed with Max Roach, Art Blakey and Cindy Blackman. So when I heard that the South African drummer, Kesivan Naidoo who’s renowned for his collaborations with jazz legends like Bheki Mseleku, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Winston Mankunku and Miriam Makeba was in town, I was beside myself. Critics have hailed…
In the sizzling heat of summer, music fans worldwide have reason to rejoice! Independent Afrobeats maestro and Dangbana Republik president, Bella Shmurda, has announced his highly anticipated EP DND, set for release on July 26. The new project comes in the wake of Shmurda’s debut album Hypertension, which skyrocketed to an impressive 250 million global…
South Africa has a vibrant and diverse music scene, and one band that is to leave an indelible mark on the country’s cultural and sonic landscape is Iphupho L’ka Biko. They aim to do this with the release of their debut EP titled Azania which explores a blend of sounds that are true to African…
