After South African singer Tyla won the inaugural golden gramophone for Best African Music Performance at the 2024 GRAMMYs award show, many likely wondered why her international breakout single “Water” garnered such global appeal.
Beyond the R&B sensibilities that made its sound approachable to Western audiences, what really drew crowds to “Water” was the vitality of South African dance and elements of amapiano — a subgenre of house and a child of kwaito, South Africa’s post-Apartheid freedom sound. Punctuated by amapiano’s log drums and insistent shakers, brought to life through the frantic backside movements of bacardi and Tyla’s aquatic theater, “Water” used genre fusion to carry South African sound across global airwaves.
What’s more, Tyla is part of a vast network of women propelling amapiano to the world. Zimbabwean singer Sha Sha’s breakout in 2019 created a monumental shift in a genre that was largely the terrain of boys and men, and since then the amapiano scene has seen many other women follow in her wake. The likes of Mawhoo, Ami Faku, Bontle Smith, and Nobantu Vilakazi consistently emphasize the genre’s soulful heart through dreamlike vocal work, grounding the very hits that have made amapiano the widespread phenomenon that it is today.
Everything from the skillful improvisations of dancing schoolgirls, to lively performances from women DJs and vocalists has allowed amapiano’s essence to be communicated clearly to the world. A vast web of women are pushing the genre both within and beyond South African borders; read on for a list of 11 influential women who are key in elevating amapiano to global heights.
DBN Gogo
It’s not that controversial: everybody loves Gogo. Born in the city from which she derived her name, Durban, DBN Gogo has steadily become one of amapiano’s most sought-after acts. From her 2021 smash hit “Khuza Gogo” featuring amapiano stars such as the late Mpura, to later hits like “Possible,” “Bambelela,” and “Bells,” Gogo has made a name for herself as a highly-dependable hitmaker and an equally compelling performer. It was her, of course, who created the viral dakiwe dance challenge, inspiring countless dance variations and solidifying her position as amapiano’s queen of cool.
Even while she has offered the genre mass mainstream appeal, DBN Gogo’s personal projects reveal her lasting dedication to preserving amapiano’s authenticity. Her 2022 debut album, What’s Real, is a warm, rich body of work, while her newest EP Click Bait is a genre-diverse wonder that transcends the boundaries of ‘piano itself.
Since her breakout years ago, she has not even remotely backed down, taking over multiple AfroNation stages yearly, performing at Coachella in 2022, and featuring twice on the GRAMMY-nominated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Dropping the Shakes & Les-assisted “Funk 55” in 2023, a track that is still dominating South African nightlife as we speak, Gogo is on an unending mission to take the world by storm.
Nkosazana Daughter
With a spiritual sound and an angelic voice to match, it’s safe to say that Nkosazana Daughter is amapiano’s sweetheart. Breaking out via an Instagram Live with DJ Maphorisa and Mpura during lockdown, the 23-year-old has proved that her ethereal vocals can impart a distinct sense of purity to any song she features on.
She has since voiced dreamy hit singles like “Dali Nguwe” and “Sofa Silahlane” with frequent collaborator Master KG, and worked with continental artists including Tanzania’s Harmonize and Nigerian Afropop stars Mr. Eazi, Omah Lay, and Young Jonn. Last year, she asserted herself in a big way, releasing her debut album Uthingo Le Nkosazana.
“Uthingo,” meaning “rainbow” in Zulu, communicated to the world the vast color and love she had to bring to the scene. Nkosazana Daughter called amapiano’s greats to her world, working with the likes of Kabza de Small, Maphorisa, and Sir Trill throughout the project as well as Master KG on the lead single, “Amaphutha.” She has already started the year with a bang via her successful hit “Keneilwe,” proving her determination to come into 2024 with an unrelenting force.
TXC
Tarynn Reid and Clair Hefke are the dj duo that have proved the importance of intentional performance while pushing ‘piano. The pair are known for mixing amapiano party hits while clad in matching sets; Clair often holds down the fort while Tarynn drives crowds wild with impassioned dance moves.
The duo has become a symbol of amapiano’s global appeal, ruling the Piano People stage at AfroNation in Miami, closing Boiler Room’s Soulection stage in London, and taking on Qatar’s 2022 Fifa World Cup stage alongside acts like Lil Baby. What’s more, they have consistently shown dedication to growth, expanding their title from DJ duo to production duo, including producing their debut EP.
That release, 2022’s A Fierce Piano is a rich collection of tracks featuring assists from some of the genre’s smoothest vocalists: Daliwonga and Murumba Pitch. Following up with “Vuka Mawulele” and their latest single “Turn Off the Lights,” TXC have shown that their future as creatives in amapiano is limitless.
Babalwa M
While the amapiano scene is fraught with disagreements surrounding origins, dates, and pioneers, all unanimously agree that Babalwa M is the queen of private school amapiano. Known for its deeply jazzy, soulful approach to amapiano, “private school” is a distinct subgenre that Babalwa’s vocals have refined throughout the years alongside its king, producer Kelvin Momo.
Listening to the transcendental vocals laced through tracks like “Aluta Continua” from her debut album of the same name, it should come as no surprise that Soweto’s own Babalwa M found her voice through the church choir.
Babalwa M’s most infamous contributions to the private school archive come in the form of collaborations with the aforementioned Momo. Her near-spiritual vocals on tracks like “Feza,” “Sukakude” and, most recently, “Amalobolo” from his newest project, have made even the most surface level consumers invested in the beauty of private school. Coming off of the heels of her most recent track “Maye Maye,” Babalwa M is determined to continue sharing the sublimity of private school with the world.
Uncle Waffles
Nobody quite epitomizes amapiano’s globalization in the way that Uncle Waffles does.
It all boils down to one fateful day: a DJ booked for a 2021 club night in Soweto was unable to make their set, so Uncle Waffles was called in. She played Young Stunna’s “Adiwele,” gyrating with incomparable cool as she responded to the crowd’s impassioned cries. A video of her dancing at this set went viral, generating a dance challenge that can still be seen at club nights today and converting her into an overnight sensation. Suddenly, Swaziland’s own Uncle Waffles was juggling bookings from all over the world.
Since then, the cosmos has become the limit — she has shut down Coachella, sold out US and UK headlines shows, and received cosigns from Drake, Kelly Rowland, and Ciara. Waffles’ hit single “Tanzania” was even featured in an amapiano-influenced set during multiple stops of Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour. What’s more, she has proved that her talents transcend the stage with three projects in her catalog: Red Dragon, and 2023’s Asylum and Solace.
With global hit singles “Yahyuppiyah” and “Peacock Revisit” from 2023, and her constant re-definition as a style icon, dancer, and creative director, Uncle Waffles continues to show the world that she cannot be confined to any one creative medium.
Chley
Slick-tongued Chley is widely understood as a secret weapon for any producer looking to cook up an amapiano anthem. Taking on music as recently as 2021, she’d already collaborated with prominent amapiano producers Mellow & Sleazy, Konke, and Musa Keys a year into her music career – voicing hits like “Kancane” and “M’nike.” Chley was catapulted to a new level of fame once featured on Uncle Waffles’ “Yahyuppiyah,” offering a rapid-fire verse that netizens all over the world fought hard to replicate.
Since then, she has featured on bangers such as “Vuma” with Felo Le Tee and Mellow & Sleazy, “Shu!” with Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz, Gogo’s “Funk 55,” and Ggoldie’s “Asambe.” With a discography bound to make even the most conservative of listeners get up and dance, Chley is certainly one to watch in the midst of amapiano’s ever-evolving scene.
Kamo Mphela
Kamo Mphela burst onto the scene after one too many videos of her dancing went viral — an expected outcome for a girl who consistently danced and MCed at block parties on the streets of Joburg. Her rise to fame fatefully coincided with amapiano’s nationwide popularization, allowing the multi-talented dancer to latch on to the township sound and never let it go.
She soon jumped on tracks like “Sandton” alongside Kabza and Maphorisa in 2019 and “Amanikiniki” with Major League DJz in 2021, then released her own tracks “Percy Tau” and “Nkulunkulu” on her debut EP the same year. She’s since released smash hits, featured on the Wakanda Forever soundtrack, and offered a thrilling performance ahead of Davido at London’s O2 arena.
Throughout her career, Kamo Mphela has redefined the role of the dancer in amapiano’s landscape, not confining herself to the sidelines but instead positioning dance as a central component of any amapiano performance worth its salt. This radical ethic has allowed her to become widely regarded as one of amapino’s most notable performers, and she consistently ensures that her music embodies this weighty title. Her 2023 singles “HANNAH MONTANA” and “Dalie” came with expert dances — the latter with a viral dance challenge that has kept the song at a steady position on South African charts.
Boohle
Hailing from the Vosloorus township of Johannesburg, Buhle Manyathi is all about soul. Kicking off her career as part of a gospel troupe in 2016, she later transitioned to Afro house and amapiano, releasing a multi-genre debut album, Izibongo, in 2020 and EP Sfikile in 2021. It was only a matter of time before she became the vocalist behind some of ‘piano’s biggest hits, voicing “Mama” with Josiah de Disciple (and its gorgeous Afro house remix from De Capo), “Siyathandana” alongside rapper Cassper Nyovest, and the glorious “Ngixolele,” produced by Busta 929.
Several top charting positions and awards later, she came out with arguably her most global single, “Hamba Wena” alongside Deep London. Igniting a global dance challenge created by South African steppers Hope Ramafalo and Hlongi Mash, “Hamba Wena” captivated the globe and reasserted Boohle’s seemingly endless ability to produce ‘piano anthems.
Lady Du
Music was always in the cards for Lady Du, but it was amapiano in particular that changed the scope of her career. Reared in a family of influential DJs and producers, she kicked off her career as a Hip-Hop DJ before pivoting completely into ‘piano.
Dropping both “Catalia” and “Woza” in 2021 — both with production from ‘piano pioneer Mr JazziQ — Lady Du suddenly had 2 gigantic hits under her belt, the latter becoming one of the biggest songs in the early days of amapiano’s globalization.
She has since offered roaring vocals on Busta and Mpura’s “Umsebenzi Wethu,” hard-hitting rap on 9numba and TOSS’ “uMlando,” and Mzansi flare on international features such as “I Did It” with Nigeria’s Niniola.
Lady Du reaffirmed her centrality in the scene in 2023, dropping her debut album Song is Queen and later, the Megadrumz-produced single “Tjina.” The percussion-heavy tune quickly turned global club nights upside down, secured high positions on South Africa’s streaming charts, and emphasized Lady Du’s centrality in amapiano’s sprawling ecosystem.
Pabi Cooper
or Pritori princess Pabi Cooper, winning is easy. Hailing from South Africa’s administrative capital Pretoria, Pabi broke out as a 21-year-old with the party-starting “Isphithiphithi,” a hit produced by Busta 929 in 2021.
2022’s “Banyana Ke Bafana” was a widely popular hit, propelled by irresistible verses from the Pritori trifecta of Pabi, vocalist Ch’cco, and rapper Focalistic. Her debut EP, Cooperville, introduced audiences to a vast world of her making, with soulful numbers like “MAMA,” alongside more street-centric jams like “Waga Bietjie” and “Angeke.”
Today, Cooper has solidified herself as a symbol of youth power, mesmerizing South African crowds through her concert series Cooper FC and snagging a BET nomination in 2023 for Best New International Act. She also carries her hometown on her back wherever she goes; last year saw her release “Jukulyn” alongside Pretoria’s Jelly Babie, a track dedicated to a township of the same name and rooted in the city’s bouncy, infectious sound bacardi.
Khanyisa
Khanyisa may have started off her career as a social media influencer, but she has seamlessly evolved into an amapiano star. Performing covers and skits to the millions of followers she amassed on TikTok, Khanyisa wielded relatability and humor as her social media superpowers.
It wasn’t until her irresistible breakout “Bheka Mina Ngedwa” with Lady Du and her official debut “Ungangi Bambi” in 2021, both delivered with the same vitality that offered her acclaim online, that Khanyisa formally secured popularity within the amapiano space.
Since, Khanyisa has featured on popular tracks such as “Vuka Mawulele” with TxC and the danceable “Zula Zula” with Villosoul. In 2023, she proved her role as an undeniable hitmaker, releasing the log drum heavy “SUKA” and “NGIMOJA” with producer of the year Tyler ICU. With her successful pivot to musical fame, it is clear that Khanyisa’s future as a player in amapiano is incredibly bright.
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