How the genre dominated the African music scene in 2021
In 2021, the world saw the domination of the international phenomenon that is AmaPiano. Making its presence felt in clubs across Africa, the genre has not shown any signs of slowing down. With the desire for new sounds leading to the birth of such a pure genre, coupled with collaborations throughout the continent; it has seen a significant surge in growth.
With coverage similar to house and techno across North America and Europe, it was refreshing to see a sudden switch in who fronted the electronic dance scene. As I had personally always deemed it a western construct. Therefore, I thought it only fitting to take a dive into the genre that brought our community so much joy.
History
There is a lot of discrepancy about which specific South African township amapiano originated from. According to Kabza de Small in the 2019 Papercutt documentary ‘Shaya!’, it derives from “the soil of streets” and therefore belongs to all South Africans. In the nascent stages of the genre in 2016, bedroom producers made do with what limited resources they had. We saw South Africa’s unique take on house music, initially circulated with low-quality files shared online and via messaging platforms.
By early 2019 the infectious melodies were inescapable on the streets and balconies of South Africa. Its popularity, in my opinion, is inextricably connected to its well-established sonic ancestry. The SA province of Gauteng has provided us with kwaito, gqom, sGubhu and Barcardi House. The common DIY approach allows young, black South Africans an outlet for creative expression for everyday township life. With financial restrictions preventing many independent creators from distribution, artists were packing out venues off the back of WhatsApp releases.
Sonic Lineage
Borrowing elements from its predecessors, from kwaito’s mid-tempo rhythms and deep basslines to gqom’s drum patterns and dark overtones. The specific intersection of inspirations alchemising into the feel-good frequency of the sound. I think as a DJ, what strikes me most about the genre is its laid-back tempo. Usually sitting at around 115 bpm, it is intriguing to see a crowd’s heart rate rise in a similar way to a higher tempo afrobeat track. Its danceability comes from the fact that despite being chilled, it still has a groove to it. The genre carries this sunny cheerfulness. The staple jazz-inflected keys and gospel-tinged organ riffs will bring back nostalgic church memories to many South Africans; giving the music that sense of lightness.
In the soundtrack to SA nightlife, there is a desire to associate amapiano with positive memories. Against the backdrop of oppression in the Global South you often will hear the aspirations of wealth. The struggle is reflected in the same music that seems to make listeners forget that pain. The sound is characterised by its spiritual connection to the church and yet is juxtaposed with the expression of youthful hedonistic escapism. At the very core of the genre, we see people. There is something about the genre that taps into the collective subconscious on the global black experience.
Lockdown and Streaming
Despite the pandemic’s eradication of the typical club experience, listener behaviours showed that the genre continued to gain traction. The world was listening. I was listening. Jumping back to sometime in early 2020, the UK government was moving mad. Many of us were confined to the four walls of our rooms without hope of escapism. I was introduced to the Major League DJz’ balcony mixes and fell in love.
One of the frustrations with house tracks as a whole can be the time spent waiting for the relentless build-up; yet with amapiano it is so rewarding, as that is where the track’s entire energy will stem from. The bright, jazzy instrumentation transported me to a balcony somewhere in sunny Soweto. Lockdown tiers and two-metre rules were far from me. The duo, with their personal growth in the scene, introduced me to amazing amapiano producers and dancers such as Uncle Vinny through their collaborations.
Throughout the year 2021, the genre’s influence was felt heavily. With its own nights, festivals and dances it has topped charts and dominated trending topics month after month. Spotify’s AmaPianoGrooves playlist saw exponential growth in its listenership over the year (145% globally).
TikTok
On TikTok, the #amapiano hashtag has seen billions of views. The short-form video platform has reported it as the most popular hashtag for South Africa in 2021. A combination of the genre’s accessibility in addition to the deluge of daily remixes meant attention on the genre never faltered.
Take ‘love nwantiti’, a track initially released in 2019, as an example. Through multiple remixes and TikTok challenges, CKay has seen astronomical growth. The track is now, in fact, eligible for platinum status in the US. I think there is something particularly interesting about the global music community on TikTok that is unique to the platform. During the pandemic, I have noticed now more than ever before, a yearning for connection. I also believe, without sounding soppy, the genre has indeed brought people together.
Amapiano in Nigeria
The chokehold with which Master KG and Nomcebo Zikode’s Jerusalema held everyone’s parents in was impressive. Then as soon as Burna Boy jumped on the remix, we saw numerous Nigerian afrobeat artists begin adopting the signature synths, shakers and low drums on their tracks. The number of collaborations between Nigerian and South African artists continued to skyrocket. Naira Marley and Busiswa’s “Coming” was my personal contender for song of the year.
There is of course no denying that Nigeria has its own thriving house scene. But discourse began around the ‘watering down’ of the genre. The term ‘Afropaiano’ was quickly coined but just as quickly done away with. Having an amapiano track on your project as an afrobeat artist had become more of an expectation. Initially, what would be a sporadic feature specifically selected for best-fit, had then transmuted as a prerequisite to trending.
Global Interest
There are names you must mention out of respect for the genre, those that laid the foundations. To name a few we have The Scorpion Kings (DJ Maphorisa and Kabza de Small), Sha Sha and Cassper Nyovest. South African artists and fans of the genre have made clear their stance on the co-opting of their sound without due diligence being paid. There is a certain territorial nature to music exported from the continent. Stemming from the scars left by colonisation, it is simply good enough to credit the pioneers of a genre. It is imperative for artists to be aware of the appropriation of their respective sounds. Yet there is always a balance to be achieved in terms of its gatekeeping.
Last year Jorja Smith received backlash after the release of her single “All of This”. She tweeted “Piano to the World” alongside the track to announce her wish to see the genre go global. A lot of the criticisms pointed towards the westernisation of the sound. In addition to the fact, she made a wrong call with her choice of producer: Guilty Beatz from Ghana. DJ Maphorisa in response, remarked: “If you don’t involve us, it’s not amapiano. Trust me, you can’t eat alone on amapiano—it’s a community movement but we don’t mind sharing.”
If you don’t involve us, it’s not amapiano. Trust me, you can’t eat alone on amapiano—it’s a community movement but we don’t mind sharing.
Therefore, collaboration with South African talent is a must. Those with their actual ears to the streets should be the driving force for the telling of their own stories.
A United Front
Looking at what South Africa can convert pain and struggle into, thus begs the question of what the future holds for a united continent. Limitless possibilities. Tastemakers of the genre often assert the notion that with the assistance of influential artists the genre will “blow”. We joke about when Drake will drop his own amapiano track. But we have seen the popularity boosts from collaborating with artists such as Beyonce. The project ‘Black is King’ saw light shed on the featured artists in addition to the subcultures they represent.
Any genre stemming from the African music scene will always have intrinsically links to inequality struggles. Whether this is tied to unstable governments or race relations, the turbulent politics across the continent speaks to a real need for escapism. Not to go all Dr Umar Johnson, but some form of Pan-Africanism would highly benefit not only the genre of AmaPiano, but the entire music scene. Going back to DJ Maphorisa’s quote; it is the shared building and collective working that will lead to its success.
