5 South African Women Contributing to the Rise of Amapiano on the Global Music Scene

Amapiano, often called “the voice of the South African people,” has gained much prominence in the global music scene. It is nearly impossible not to catch the vibe when you hear the soulful beats, which is a hybrid of deep house, jazz and lounge music with bright melodies and occasional raw and repetitive hooks, 

You may find yourself unconsciously bursting a move even if you do not understand the language, thanks to the near-hypnotic effect of the South African native genre of Amapiano.

Although Amapino seems to be a male-dominated playground, some incredible South African women are challenging the status quo and taking centre stage to bring their musical voices to the genre.

They have even gone ahead to champion the cause of Amapiano, which is promoting the rich cultural heritage of South Africa and speaking about issues that affect their people. 

This is thanks to music icons like the legendary Brenda Fassie, Lebo Mathosa, Thembi Seete, Thandiswa Mazwai, Miriam Makeba that paved the way for women in Amapiano today to become female DJs, producers rappers and singers.

Here are five South African women contributing to the rise of Amapiano on the global music scene:

Busiswa

Since this queen brought the energy to DJ Zinhle’s song, My Name is Busiswa in 2012 after getting discovered by Kalawa Jazmee’s CEO Oskido, she hasn’t stopped.

Two years later, she was named as one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans, a prestigious list of the most influential individuals of each year. Since then, she has worked with music heavyweights like Beyoncé and Nigerian acts; Niniola, Mayorkun and Naira Marley.

One of her three studio albums Highly Favoured won Best Kwaito Album at the 25th South African Awards. She has collaborated with fellow Amapiano artists including Kamo Mphela, DJ Maphorisa, Mr JazziQ and several more on hits like SBWL, Bazoyenza and Makazi.

Kamo Mphela

Kamo is one of the youngest Amapiano artists. One thing that makes her stand out is her infectious smile and iconic choreographic skills. She has used her prowess as a talented south African woman to trailblaze across the Amapiano scene unapologetically.

So far, she has landed numerous collaborations with her Amapiano peers with popular anthems, including Mamazala, Squander (remix) and more recently, Nkulunkulu.

Kamo is constantly putting in the work to show the world exactly why the women of  South Africa are deserving of the reputations they uphold, with the women from previous decades walking so that the following generations can run.