Music
Tracing its underground roots to its mainstream success.
As we prepare for Red Bull Symphonic featuring Kabza De Small with Ofentse Pitse and the Symphonic Orchestra on June 8th and 9th, let's take a deeper look at this unique musical genre.
01
How It All Started
Amapiano’s place of birth is debated. While some say it originated in the townships of Johannesburg, others, citing its similarities to Bacardi House, maintain it emerged out of Pretoria. What is clear though, is that the genre was first heard in the mid-2010s.
The genre’s name, which loosely translates to “the pianos”, is a reference to the piano melodies, which alongside the punchy log drum percussive basslines, set it apart from other deep house and kwaito-influenced sounds.
As to the origin of the distinctive log drum? Amapiano pioneer Kabaza De Small credits MDU aka TRP for discovering the sound and introducing it to the genre, saying that “these boys like experimenting. They always check out new plug-ins. So when Mdu figured it out, he ran with it”.
02
Growth Of An Underground Sound
Starting out as an underground sound and spreading through channels such as WhatsApp and in minibus taxis, proponents of Amapiano initially faced resistance while trying to get the sound playlisted on South African radio stations. It wasn’t until the late 2010s when the likes of Universal Music and Sony Music began signing prominent Amapiano artists, that this tide shifted.
By 2019, though, Amapiano had firmly established itself in the mainstream and started making waves across the wider continent - despite Amapiano vocals generally being sung in local languages such as Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Setswana, and Xitsonga.
This growing popularity was due in part to the slew of Amapiano tracks that were available online thanks to the output of prolific producers who shared their releases for free. Other factors in its growing popularity were the Amapiano remakes of popular hits and frequent collaborations between producers which helped widen their fan base.
Soon after hearing the sound, artists from the continent started to incorporate it into their productions, thanks in part to the hit collaboration between Nigeria’s Davido and Focalistic on “Champion Sound”. This growing popularity and adoption of Amapiano on the continent even led to some mistaking Nigeria as the birthplace of the genre.
While the pandemic slowed the spread of Amapiano somewhat, as it limited South African producers’ ability to tour and showcase their music around the world, thanks in part to viral dance videos shared on platforms like TikTok set to the sounds of Amapiano, it continued to flourish.
03
From South Africa To The World
Thanks in part to these efforts, 2020 saw artists from the UK, France, Japan, America, and more starting to incorporate elements of Amapiano into their productions including the likes of St. Germain and Chris Brown.
Still, it would be a singer from South Africa who would have the biggest Amapiano track thus far. “Water” by Johannesburg-born Tyla emerged in 2023 as her breakthrough hit, with the song the first by a South African soloist to enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years, with the track reaching the top 10 in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, the Netherlands, and Sweden, and even reaching number 1 in New Zealand.
04
The Next Phase
While Amapiano has its fair share of legendary producers, all of whom have contributed to its success over the years, the impact of Kabza De Small can’t be overstated. Both in his solo capacity and as a member of the Scorpion Kings alongside DJ Maphorisa, his productions have made waves both locally and overseas, earning him ten South African Music Awards, two Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards, three AmaPiano Music Awards and one Sunday Times GenNext and countless platinum releases.
Continually pushing the envelope of the genre, his latest project sees him playing alongside a 33-piece symphonic orchestra led by Ofentse Pitse and an 8-piece choir for Red Bull Symphonic at Gold Reef City on June the 8th for one-of-a-kind sonic fusion.
To find out more about Red Bull Symphonic, click here. And, due to popular demand, a second show has been added! After the fast sell-out of the 1st night, a second show has been added on June 9th at Gold Reef City Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg. Tickets open at 12 noon, 26 April.