Since 2020, a genre of music called Amapiano has taken the Nigerian music scene by storm. This unique sound, derived from South Africa, merges the energy of Kwaito with the groove of house music.
In Nigerian clubs, Amapiano’s popularity skyrockets thanks to its powerful basslines that kick off any party. DJs across the country use both the Nigerian Afrobeats twist on Amapiano and the original South African style, keeping partygoers moving.
However, one of the genre’s leading figures, DJ Maphorisa, recently took to social media to share his thoughts on how Nigerian DJs handle South African Amapiano tracks. In his message, Maphorisa expressed concern about the tendency of Nigerian DJs to increase the speed of these songs by playing them at a much higher beat per minute (BPM) than intended. He believes that speeding up Amapiano tracks to 160 BPM actually harms the music, stripping it of its key elements and signature vibe.
By explaining this viewpoint, Maphorisa aims to guide DJs towards a more authentic representation of South African Amapiano within the Nigerian music landscape.
“Amapiano shouldn’t be rushed. 160 bpm is too high. Please bring it down to 130,” Maphorisa said during the Instagram live session.
DJ Maphorisa begs Nigerian DJs
pic.twitter.com/slZqS9cu7S— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) February 17, 2024
DJ Maphorisa is well-known in the Nigerian music scene due to his collaborations with various Afrobeats artists like Wizkid and Lojay.
Starting in 2020, Amapiano has become a significant component of Afrobeats, and numerous Nigerian musicians have profited from incorporating this South African style into their music.
A recent example of this trend is Asake and Olamide‘s track “Amapiano,” which pays homage to the genre. This song received a nomination for Best African Song Performance at the 66th Grammy Awards.