DJ Stokie And His Manager Speak On The Future Of Amapiano. Amapiano is a relatively new genre of South African music. Initially, when the genre started gaining popularity in 2017. Between 2017 till date, the genre’s popularity has moved well past South Africa’s borders. Amapiano has taken over the streets of Mzansi, and now to the streets of the rest of the word. DJ Stokie, real name Setoki Mbatha, started his career in the 90s from his room in Mzimhlophe. As time passed by, the self-taught music maestro started exploring the sound and eventually started what we now call the biggest sound to ever come out of South Africa, amapiano.
Amapiano has won over the hearts of many South Africans and has become the top music choice at most parties, clubs, and bars. However, many were concerted in terms of the future of amapiano and if whether it is here to stay or not. Stokie and his manager, Neo said the yanos is not going anywhere. “Piano is here to stay, it’s no going anywhere. Do you know why? Neo rhetorically asks. “Every new sound is being produced everyday. So people when it started, it was the commercial side with ‘vocals’ that curse. So people thought it won’t survive because of that. But now it’s evolving everyday. Guys like Loui Vega now plays piano. So this needs to tell you something. Next thing, the biggest even like Tomorrow land will be playing piano mostly,” he added.
Amapiano saw many newcomers into South Africa’s music scene, such as Zuma, Reece Madlisa, Busta 929, Mpura, Miano, Kamo Mphela, as well as hip-hop artists Cassper Nyovest and Focalistic, rapping over some smooth amapiano vocals. Although amapiano became more popular during the pandemic, the sound’s popularity was able to defeat the fact that people were on lockdown, facing the pandemic.
