JazziQ Opens Up About The Government’s Lack Of Support Towards Amapiano’s Growth. The 27-year-old JazziQ, real name Tumelo Manyoni has been one of amapiano’s torchbearers as the genre has gone global over the past few years. While churning out hits at a rate comparable to fellow heavyweights DJ Maphorisa, Busta 929 and Kabza De Small, JazziQ has established himself as a producer and DJ in South Africa. He has also been nurturing his independent label, Black Is Brown Entertainment.
JazziQ was first introduced to the scene as one half of the amapiano duo, JazziDisciples, alongside long-time collaborator Josiah De Disciple, who he met in high school. The song that put them on the map was their 2018 single, Long Lasting.
“That was actually the first amapiano music video. We shot it at a big amapiano party called House of Piano that used to happen every year. It was mandatory for us to be there because we were driving the culture. It was massive, it was crazy. People loved what was happening in the video and the [party energy] is what people loved. It was the first video that’s just instrumentals, there were no lyrics, nothing.”
Despite amapiano’s growing success, JazziQ says lack of support from the government is hampering the genre’s growth. “I mean, we’re doing bigger movements than the national soccer team. C’mon, let’s be honest. The least you could do is just support us. Show that this thing is actually ours and this thing is actually bringing more tourism into the country. Banyana Banyana came back and they won the cup, but we’re also doing big shows. And I’m happy because I did the song for Banyana Banyana, but can we get some acknowledgement? Even during lockdown, we were the biggest movement in the streets.”
On 12 August, Mr JazziQ released his fourth project, All You Need is Piano. The 18-track album mostly features his roster of Black is Brown artists alongside a few A-list amapiano stars including Lady Du, Zuma, Murumba Pitch, and MJ. For JazziQ, the album title and its content were all about sharing the love. “If you check my previous album it was called Party With the English, and then I came back and did All You Need is Piano. For me, it’s in relation to what I’ve experienced before. So I try to put it in text, and then the music follows through. My music is relatable. The album caters to all markets instead of a certain age group or a certain kind of people. Even our mothers can listen to it now because I’ve added some gospel in it so they can also relate and not feel like we’re leaving them out.”
