Tag: kwaito
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Tashif Kente’s 1991 album is South African gold – its timeless street-soul vibe is revived by the taste making DJ duo and label, Heels & Souls
Heels & Souls Recordings is a label that has been curating a series of soulful jams, reflecting their stirring DJ sets and bountiful, deep crates. Now, they look back to the sounds of South Africa’s townships in 1991, picking four of Tashif Kente’s finest cuts from his sought after album A Boy And A Dream.…
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Onipa’s new album flows through afrobeats, highlife, kwaito and UK bass – bridging between the London club-scene and African folklore
Onipa release Off The Grid next month – the band’s second full-length album and first release on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records – featuring collaborators such as Moonchild Sanelly, David Walters, Dele Sosimi and Theon Cross. The twin creative forces behind Onipa – Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist) and Kweku Sackey (K.O.G. & the Zongo Brigade),…
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Citi Express is next on Afrosynth Records – ‘Living For The City’ is a fantastic snapshot of early house and US garage infused music made in South Africa
Afrosynth Records has been a world leader in celebrating past masterpieces of South African music since 2017 – this time the label is reissuing a classic from 1991, as the end of apartheid began to dawn. Citi Express and Living For The City is clearly influenced by the global house music wave of the time, as…
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Kebidoo is South Africa born but her hybrid pop results from international inspirations – crafted potently by Nigeria-based producer GreenBaker – and is a multimedia feast
Tshego was born in 1996 in Mafikeng, a small town about four hours west of Johannesburg. Her music blends together iconic mostawako (a South African hip-hop) and kwaito songs by the likes of HHP and Khuli Chana; early 2000-era underground grime – acquired while living in the UK (Brough, near Hull); k-pop artists like BLACKPINK;…
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INTERVIEW: it’s been a busy year for South African rapper Mx Blouse – with debut album ‘Elementality’ and more to come from this emerging star – kwaito and their art keeps flourishing
Mx Blouse is based in Johannesburg – and inspired by 90s kwaito, hip-hop, electro, deep house, grime and jazz – their music is becoming globally recognised, with critical acclaim far and wide. The gender non-conforming rapper is hitting the headlines, after their singles Phukphuku and No Match, as well as a feature on frequent collaborator…
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Soundway to drop ‘Gumba Fire’ – expertly curated by Miles Cleret and DJ Okapi
Miles Cleret and DJ Okapi have handpicked a killer selection of bubblegum soul and synth boogie and have further built on the South African canon. All tracks have never been reissued or available digitally before on Gumba Fire: Bubblegum Soul & Synth-Boogie in 1980s South Africa. This Soundway compilation covers music that evolves from the…
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INTERVIEW: DJ Okapi, a world renouned taste-maker and head of the Afrosynth label of Johannesburg
DJ Okapi has been at the fore of rediscovering dance music from South Africa since his Afrosynth blog started seven years ago. He has just compiled Boogie Breakdown: South African Synth-Disco 1980-1984 for Cultures of Soul and is about to commence a DJ tour of Europe. As well as blogging about under-publicised artists from his…
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