Kabza De Small Reveals His 6 Favourite Amapiano Tracks To Rolling Stone. With Amapiano having taken over the South Africa airwave, it has become one of the most spoken about genres recently. South Africans everywhere are enjoying everything the genre has to offer. Amapiano is ultimately a mix of a number of genres, from deep house, jazz and even hip-hop, the genre offers something for everyone. The sound originated in Johannesburg townships, Alexandra, Vosloorus and Katlehong. Because of the genre’s similarities with Bacardi, some people assert the genre began in Pretoria and has been an on going debate about the origin of Amapiano. However, with that said, the sound has introduced a lot of talent, one of them being Kabza De Small who became a foundational figure of the genre.
Here are Kabza’s 6 favourite amapiano tracks:
Musa Keys feat. Sir Trill & Nobantu Vilakazi, “Vula Mlomo”
Kabza calls this “the song to get the people up and dancing.” It’s immediately arresting, with light drums that give way to delicate piano and sweet, comforting singing that becomes more urgent and frenetic with time.
De Mthuda & Ntokzin feat MalumNator, “uMsholozi”
The earworm vocals in “uMsholozi” don’t kick in until there’s only one minute and 45 seconds left of this layered dance track that’s been Shazamed over 126,000 times. They’re worth the wait. “‘uMsholozi’ is an amapiano anthem that ignites any environment,” says Kabza.
MDU aka TRP, “16 Inch (Dance Mix)”
At 5 minutes and 20 seconds, “16 Inch (Dance Mix)” is on the shorter side of the amapiano spectrum, where popular songs can be as long as nine minutes. Kabza calls it “everyone’s favorite viral song to lift [their] arms to and move [to],” and its virtual lack of lyrics highlight the prominent shakers and deliberate drums.
DJ Maphorisa, Kabza De Small & TRESOR, “Folasade”
Kabza does a little self-praise here, calling “Folasade” “a beautiful serenade.” The single from Scorpion King’s April album Rumble in the Jungle is sung in English by Tresor, a Congolese vocalist. Folasade is a Yoruba name implying honor and regality.
Kabza De Small ft Daliwonga, “iLog Drum”
Kabza says this song from last year’s album, I Am the King of Amapiano: Sweet & Dust, is “a love letter dedicated to the root of amapiano, the log drum.” While Amapiano producers can create synthetic log drum patterns, physical log drums are slitted wooden or bamboo cylinders that may date back as early as the 6th century.
DJ Maphorisa & Tyler ICU ft Sir Trill, Daliwonga and Kabza De Small, “Banyana”
Kabza declares the title track from producer and DJ Tyler ICU’s joint EP with DJ Maphorisa “a summer anthem!” With its heavy pulse and catchy vocal cadences, “Banyana” can create a party wherever it’s played.
