A History of
South African Dance

Since the stretching of the first animal skin drums, Africa has had an unbreakable connection with the sound known to South Africa as “isigubhu.” As the cradle of humankind, it’s no surprise that this visionary place has managed to harness the power of sound in a way that leaves generations of people in complete awe. From the sacred to the secular, music has been an integral part of the African way, and in most recent times the world’s attention has become fixated on the myriad sounds echoing from the south. 

While Afrohouse overflows with melodic strings and lively percussion, Gqom hypnotises with a dusky and visceral rhythm. Deep-and-soulful house cradles emotion with an air of sophistication and grace, and Afrotech pushes the bounds of what it means to lean on the legacy of the drumbeat. The youngest of them all, Amapiano, is a slower-paced chimaera of deep house’s vast terrain and kwaito’s unabashed calls for expression – all where the aim is not to sweat. 

Amongst the many sonics soundtracking everyday life, most – if not all – of the country’s most groundbreaking sounds stem from Black communities and townships taking ownership of their creative talents, where they were once stifled under Apartheid law that forbid cultural expression and the intermingling of tribe and race, while restricting freedom of movement and self-actualisation. Jazz-centric and traditional genres such as marabi, kwela, mbaqanga and maskandi instilled a sense of hope and gave way to artists who would usher in a new age of purely and proudly South African urban music.

In the late 80s and 90s, genres such as bubblegum soul and kwaito laid the foundation for a country poised toward a rebelliously flavourful way of life. After years of oppression and hopelessness, South Africa’s musicians including M’du Masilela, Yvonna Chaka Chaka and Chicco geared up to manifest their innermost creativity to bring a sense of aliveness to its clubs and dancefloors; and with the first democratic elections in 1994, a house-appreciating nation was born. South Africa needed music that emulated how its people lived and aspired to live – freely, openly and at pace with the rest of the world. With that, different forms of house music went on to dominate in the mainstream as pop music – a feat that would continue to be hard-earned anywhere else. For many South African house heads, the music is all about legacy and passing the baton from one era of creators to the next:

“Having grown up listening to the likes of Busi Mhlongo, Lucky Dube, Hugh Masekela, Madala Kunene, Brenda Fassie and so forth, it is very important to carry the sound they pioneered proudly,” says DJ Kabila. “In the most evolving world of music, telling an African story lies in never leaving our roots – and in turn, that has been the base of creating the kind of music you hear me make today.”

Today, Amapiano has become this generation’s sonic marker, carrying many flavours of house, jazz and Afropop. From the township jazz clubs to the inner city rooftops, Amapiano can be heard at all times of day, played by all ages, brimming with nostalgia and newness alike. Known to many as “the second coming of Kwaito” due its ability to give musicians a renewed definition of freedom, Amapiano has truly made an impact with collectives as far as Japan, the United Kingdom, Dubai, the Netherlands and Canada rising to create their own scenes.  

Echoing the spirit of Pretoria and the East Rand’s townships where it first found its feet, Amapiano’s artists come from a mix of backgrounds ranging from hip-hop to gospel and more. Primarily referred to as “iNumba” by locals who frequently exchanged music on Kasi MP3, Datafilehost and Whatsapp, Amapiano is more than just a log drum, which is said to have been first used by producer Mdu aka TRP shortly after 2010. Today, Amapiano’s iterations range far and wide. There’s the smooth, jazzy “private school” Amapiano a la Kelvin Momo, Njelic and Gaba Cannal; the slower, deep-house leaning soundscapes of “sgija” propped up by Vigro Deep, Sfarzo Rtee and Stakev; the commercially loved pop and Afro-sonics brought up in numerous ways by Daliwonga, Murumba Pitch, DBN GOGO and Musa Keys; the kwaito-favouring Amaroto, TOSS and Focalistic – all along with the endless overlaps of these in a highly collaborative scene, with Kabza De Small taking the crown as “king.”

Amapiano’s musicians who have managed to move crowds at home and abroad are a testament to the fact that the many forms of blackness that exist today can move as one, taking on a new definition of freedom and allowing revellers to commune around dancefloors no matter how far across the world they may be scattered. 

“Amapiano is like a bamboo tree that just sprouted from the ground, growing so fast that its roots beneath the streets of South Africa solidified its authenticity and culture.” says singer-songwriter Aymos. “It’s who we are… Children of the township are the soul of Amapiano. It’s the voice that echoes from the black communities, where the culture, lingo, lifestyle and dances originate… It’s our pride and identity.”

Find out more about South Africa’s sonic terrain and the township’s odds-defying influence at Boiler Room & Ballantine’s True Music Studios.