Amapiano is South African house-based dance music that began in the townships of Gauteng, particularly Pretoria and Johannesburg, in the mid-2010s. That is how Grammy.com dates it in a September 2024 feature by Harun Momanyi. Its trademark is the “log drum”, a deep synthesized bass, and within ten years it went from township parties to a Grammy win.
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What Amapiano Means
Amapiano means “pianos”: the name comes from the Zulu word for the instrument, according to Grammy.com.
The same feature describes the style as a blend of deep house, jazz, lounge and local South African sounds, with kwaito, “a distinctly South African genre”, in the mix.
Where the Sound Came From
The sound came from township DJs and young producers in Gauteng who made tracks on “affordable personal computers and free music production software” (Grammy.com).
Spotify‘s history of the genre names a venue and a track. In 2013, places such as Jack Budha in Mamelodi gave slots to DJs who played “inumber”, the first name given to this style. Calvin Fallo’s 2015 track “Yellow” is described there as a forerunner of inumber.
Early timeline
| Year | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Jack Budha in Mamelodi books DJs who play “inumber” | Spotify |
| 2015 | Calvin Fallo releases “Yellow”, a forerunner of the style | Spotify |
| Mid-2010s | Amapiano takes shape in Pretoria and Johannesburg townships | Grammy.com |
| 2016 | Kabza De Small breaks through with Avenue Sounds | Grammy.com |
| 2019 to 2020 | Spotify streams rise from 34 million to 102 million | Spotify |
| 2022 | The genre passes 1 billion all-time Spotify streams | Spotify |
| 2024 | Tyla’s “Water” wins the first Best African Music Performance Grammy | Grammy.com |
The Log Drum Explained
The log drum is a synthesized bass sound, not a physical drum. Grammy.com describes it as “a distinct, synthesized bass sound that captures the deep, resonant tones of a traditional log drum”.
In the same feature, Kabza De Small credits producer Mdu aka TRP: “Not a lot of people know that he basically founded the log drum sound that is so essential and distinct” to amapiano.
How Amapiano Spread
The COVID-19 lockdowns gave it a big push. Spotify says amapiano had 34 million streams on its service in 2019 and more than doubled to 102 million by the end of the first year of lockdown.
Dance challenges on social media, such as #Johnvuligatechallenge and #Amanikinikichallenge, spread the music while clubs were shut. User playlists featuring the genre grew from fewer than 800,000 in 2019 to over 2 million in 2021, and singer Sha Sha won Best New International Act at the 2020 BET Awards, according to the same Spotify report.
Amapiano passed 1 billion all-time streams on Spotify in 2022 (Spotify). Even so, the home market still leads: Spotify reports that 55% of all amapiano streams in 2023 came from South Africa.
Phones helped. The same Spotify report says smartphone ownership in South Africa went from under 50% four years before lockdown to 92% by the end of 2019, so young listeners could stream and share tracks at home.
Who listens
Young people drive the genre. Spotify found that 40% of amapiano streams in 2023 came from people aged 18 to 24 and a further 22% from people aged 25 to 29.
Nigerian artists picked it up too. Focalistic’s “Ke Star” got a remix with Davido (Spotify), and Asake and Olamide’s song “Amapiano” was nominated for Best African Music Performance at the 2024 Grammys.
Key Artists to Know
These names come up again and again in the Grammy.com and Spotify histories of the genre.
Kabza De Small
Grammy.com says Kabza De Small began his career in 2009, broke through with his 2016 album Avenue Sounds and is hailed as the “King of Amapiano” (Grammy.com).
DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small as Scorpion Kings
The two producers work together as Scorpion Kings, and Grammy.com’s history of the genre mentions their track “Vula Vala”, featuring Nokwazi and Vigro Deep (Grammy.com). In 2021 they released the album Rumble In The Jungle with the singer Tresor (OkayAfrica).
Mdu aka TRP
Mdu aka TRP is the producer Kabza De Small credits with founding the log drum sound (Grammy.com).
Focalistic, Uncle Waffles and DBN Gogo
Focalistic’s “Ke Star”, covered above, is one of the songs Grammy.com links to the genre’s pandemic-era rise. Grammy.com also names Uncle Waffles, DBN Gogo and the duo Major League Djz among the amapiano artists who have played global stages, and credits Uncle Waffles’ DJ sets with making her a symbol of the genre’s young energy. Spotify notes that Uncle Waffles rose through social media and that Beyoncé featured her work during the Renaissance world tour.
Tyla
Tyla’s “Water” won the first Grammy for Best African Music Performance in 2024. The song peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made Tyla the first African solo artist to pass 1 billion Spotify streams with one song (Billboard).
Billboard noted that the No. 7 peak made her the highest-charting African female soloist on the Hot 100, ahead of Miriam Makeba’s No. 12 with “Pata Pata” in 1968.
Where to Start Listening
- “Water” by Tyla, the 2024 Grammy winner.
- “Ke Star” by Focalistic, then its remix with Davido.
- “Amapiano” by Asake and Olamide, for the Nigerian crossover.
- Kabza De Small’s Avenue Sounds, his 2016 breakthrough album.
- Any DJ set by Uncle Waffles or DBN Gogo, to hear how it works in a club.
Sources
- Amapiano at 10: the road to global dominance and a Grammy win (Grammy.com)
- Amapiano 10 (Spotify Newsroom)
- How a Global Pandemic Pushed Amapiano to the World (Spotify Newsroom)
- Piano to the World: Amapiano’s Evolution From Underground Movement to Global Sensation (Spotify Newsroom)
- Best African Music Performance 2024, 66th Grammy Awards (Grammy.com)
- Tyla Becomes First African Solo Artist to Hit 1 Billion Spotify Streams With Water (Billboard)
- Artists to Watch 2024 (Billboard)
- DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small Enlist Tresor on Their New Amapiano Album Rumble In The Jungle (OkayAfrica)
