The kings of Amapiano DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small AKA “The Scorpion Kings” are back with another project, this one titled “Once Upon A Time In Lockdown.”
Amapiano, which debuted around 2015 out of South Africa, is undoubted on the rise as a music genre reaching across the globe.
The latest release marks their fourth album in 8 months. The project brings together 15 tracks and more than 20 featured artists, including regular colaborators of the two DJs such as the gqom queen Busiswa and the Zimbabwean Amapiano queen Sha Sha, as well as lesser-known signatures from DJ Maphorisa’s BlaqBoy Music label Howard, Bontle Smith and more.
The sound of the album is one we’ve grown accustomed to from the duo, but evolves progressively from track to track. The first half of the album is luminous and light (“Phumelela”, “iNtombi”), reminiscent of a joyful and feel-good house very present in the South African music scene. The second half of the project takes a Gqom turn with darker and more aggressive sounds, intended to be played in dance clubs or on the mzansi streets. This project serves as a great way to pass time as we as a society deals with the consequences of a global pandemic.
