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France 24
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
South Africa's amapiano has the world dancing
With energy and purpose, they rehearsed a sequence in the style of the house music subgenre born on the streets of the townships around 15 years ago and now showcased by stars like Beyonce and Tyla. Soweto's Finest Dance Studio draws dancers of all kinds -- from ballerinas to party-goers -- to learn the amapiano moves sweeping the world through TikTok tutorials and challenges. Amapiano "is not about the words but you feel it inside of you," said Venus Chidinma, 25, a professional dancer from New York who studied at the studio for several weeks. "It doesn't matter where you come from, what race, what colour -- you feel it and you have to just move. It's just from inside you," the Harvard graduate told AFP. Central to the sound is the log drum, a distinctive bass that sets it apart from other forms of dance music. It blends soulful jazz and deep house with 1990s kwaito to create a local genre with no strict rules. The dance style mixes up others, from the coordinated quick steps of South African panstula to the "baleka" move that closely resembles Michael Jackson's iconic moonwalk. "Its authenticity to South Africa makes it stand out," said Thando Nhlapho, the 21-year-old professional dancer and choreographer at the landmark Soweto studio. Nhlapho, still glistening from her latest class, creates and posts dance videos on social media to "get my name out there". "I don't only dance to amapiano but I choose to use amapiano as a marketing strategy because it is now the trending thing, the hot thing globally," she told AFP. Global language "Amapiano is so powerful, it's taken over Africa," said Emmanuel Mwenya, 25, a choreographer from Lusaka. "In Zambia, we dance and sing along to the music even though we do not understand the lyrics," said Mwenya, who spent a week in South Africa to learn the style. "We do amapiano but it's never original. So I thought I'd take the time to come here to learn something original," he said at the studio. Amapiano is its own language, said the professional dancer who also uses social media to promote his work. "Whether you speak Zulu, Bemba, Nyanja, English... it all connects, no matter where you're from." This spirit of inclusiveness comes to life on social media, where people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures unite in dance challenges, like the one for "Tshwala Bami" on TikTok that was taken up by US performer Jason Derulo. "My mom is 46 years old today and even at her age, I still teach her some TikTok dance challenges," said 21-year-old South African Snethemba Mathe, her face lit up. Xiaoying Zhan, 30, brought three friends visiting from China with her to a class. Zhan, who is from China but now lives in South Africa, said she caught on to the amapiano beat during the Covid-19 lockdown around five years ago. "I was enjoying the music and that is why I started dancing to amapiano," she said. "The music has a lot of upbeat tempo," she said, listing South Africa's DBN Gogo and Uncle Waffles, originally from neighbouring Eswatini, as among her favourite artists, but only after Tyla. According to Spotify, amapiano featured in more than 855 million streams recorded in 2024 alone, making the genre a powerful promotion tool for career dancers. "Amapiano is something that's so easy to vibe to," said Chidinma, the dancer from New York who posts videos of various styles on her Instagram account. "Whenever people come up with a dance, it's going to go viral," she said.
DW
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- DW
The trailblazing DJ DBN Gogo – DW – 05/21/2025
05/21/2025 May 21, 2025 South African DJ and producer DBN Gogo is making waves in the ever-growing Amapiano scene. We sat down with her at Afro Nation 2024 where she revealed the secrets behind her stage name and what it's like working in a male-dominated industry.
IOL News
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Don't miss Cotton Fest 2025, Dr Riaad Moosa's comedy show and 'Soke' in Jozi this weekend
A-Reece is set to deliver an electryfing performance at Cotton Fest 2025. Cotton Fest 2025 Some of Mzansi's biggest stars are set to deliver electrifying performances at this year's Cotton Fest, which showcases the latest in music, fashion, gaming, food and art. They include A-Reece, Cassper Nyovest, DBN Gogo, Focalistic, Kabza De Small, Kamo Mphela, Sjava and many others. The annual event, which is the brainchild of late rapper Rikhado 'Riky Rick' Makhado, celebrates hip hop, house, amapiano and other leading South African music genres. Where: Newtown Station. When: Saturday, April 26, from noon. Dr Riaad Moosa's "What's the Point?" Award-winning comedian, presenter, writer, and actor, Dr Riaad Moosa will be staging his brand-new comedy show in Joburg this weekend. This show is set to blend medicine with humour as the 'Doctor of Comedy' is set to take audiences on as he grapples with the absurdity of life. Where: Pieter Toerien Montecasino Main Theatre When: Friday, April 25, until Sunday, April 27. Show times differ, depending on the day. Soke The sounds of the African continent will be celebrated at 'Soke', an event curated that is held multiple times a year, alternating between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Harare, Zimbabwe. It is an ideal opportunity to immerse yourself in the rhythmic beats, the rich flavours, good company, as well as fashion which is inspired by the diverse heritage of Africa. Where: Maracana in Sandton. When: Sunday, April 27, from 1pm to 10pm.
