Meet The Group Behind Amapiano Hit Single ‘Paris’. Amapiano’s use of vocals has made some producers and vocalists household names over the last five years but a return to a percussion-heavy instrumental sound is set to dominate the future. Over the past three years, amapiano has been rapidly growing despite the critics of it dying soon.
For the past 10 years, the trio trio — Q-Mark, Tpzee and Afriikan Papi — who hail from Soweto, have been trying to break into the industry. The trio are responsible for the banger song that has been on high rotation on most commercial radio stations and is charting at number one on Channel O, MTV Base and Trace TV for a couple of weeks now.
They say that Paris may have been their golden ticket into the game but they haven’t won the competition yet. Upon arriving at their quaint apartment in Joburg North for an interview, Q-Mark, real name Thabelo Madiba, 29, Tpzee, who was born Thapelo Moyane, 29, and vocalist Afriikan Papi, real name Sipho Lekganyane, 28, were hard at work recording more songs. “It is so important that we keep working. To win the game, you know,” says Afriikan Papi in high spirits.
Their recording process also featured the team’s ghost composer, Tshepo “Slick Widit” Mokoena, 30, who worked together with Q-Mark and Tpzee on the song. Sitting and watching them in action, one would think that their method of work is jumbled, with everyone chirping in at any given moment, but to the squad, that is their winning formula.
