Since the mid 2010s, amapiano— which, in Zulu, loosely translates to “the pianos”— has been a influential genre of South African music. According to The Music Origins Project , it blends elements of deep house, jazz, kwaito, and Afrobeats to create infectiously danceable and uniquely African sounds. Now, thanks to artists like Tyla and Uncle Waffles, the world is more familiar with amapiano, but there’s so much more to discover about the genre. Looking to add to your amapiano playlist? Read on for five amapiano artists to pay attention to. Uncle Waffles Uncle Waffles has had a meteoric rise, going from first cultivating her DJ skills during the pandemic, to now being an internationally acclaimed DJ and producer, CNN reported. Taking advantage of social media, and amapiano becoming one of the fastest-growing music genres from Africa, the 24-year-old presents the best of the genre, understanding that “people will understand dance, even if they don’t understand the lyrics.” To get that...
