BBC Africa Reportedly Set To Release An Amapiano Documentary. In just a few years, the genre known as Amapiano has gone from a local South African trend to an international phenomenon, finding its way onto dance floors across the globe thanks to widely recognized artists like DBN Gogo, Focalistic, Major League DJz, and more.
The new kind of music from South Africa that’s got everyone talking is called amapiano. It was born in the country’s deep house and jazz music scene about 10 years ago. It’s called Amapiano – and it’s a genre that lends itself to collaboration between artists — a collaboration that has helped spread the word. What’s more interesting is that artists are expressing themselves in their own native languages.
BBC Africa has recognised this local genre that has taken the world by storm – so much that it has been reported that it is set to release an amapiano documentary featuring some of the pioneers of the sound like Major League DJz, Sha Sha, Daliwonga, and many more.
“Amapiano is a form of expression and getaway for the youth of South Africa,” shares DJ/producer duo Major League DJz. “It expresses the struggles and enjoyments that the youth go through on a daily basis. The music, dances and style is a way for them to showcase to anyone that cares to watch the pure essence being youth in South Africa.”
Debates about the genre’s exact origins are ongoing, but most artists generally agree that it was born in the townships of Johannesburg and Pretoria in the country’s Gauteng province around 2012. Much like its predecessors, amapiano was initially a byproduct of the manipulation of house tracks, through slowing them down to a lower BPM.