Amapiano After Dark Mix

“Amapiano After Dark Mix” on LagosJump Radio: Hey there! When the sun dips in Lagos, join us for a chilled three-hour ride filled with the coolest Amapiano beats. Perfect for night owls or anyone looking to unwind. Not only will you get to groove to some top-notch tunes, but our hosts also chat about love, life, and everything in between. Whether you’re a hardcore Amapiano fan or just up for some evening vibes, this mix has got you covered. Fancy more music? Check out what else is playing on LagosJump Radio’s schedule. Catch you after dark!

Amapiano is a subgenre of house music that originated in South Africa in the mid-2010s. It is a hybrid of deep house, jazz, and lounge music characterized by synths and wide percussive basslines ¹. The genre is mostly sung in Zulu and Xhosa, Sotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, one of South Africa’s native tongues ¹. Amapiano’s foundations are in Kwaito, music created in the ’90s as South Africa transitioned into democracy. Afro and deep house, tech-house, jazz, and folk are also immediately recognizable threads in the sound ².

The genre has gained popularity across the African continent since 2019, with noted increases in digital streams and chart successes in countries far from its South African origin ¹ . In 2021, an awards ceremony was created that was dedicated to the genre, the South Africa Amapiano Music Awards. In 2022, the American online music store Beatport added the genre to its platform with its own dedicated charts and playlists.

Amapiano has become more than just music; it is an expression and validation of a way of life, with its own unique dress, talk, and dance. The male-dominated genre also birthed a number of figures synonymous with the domain, such as dancer and MC Kamo Mphela, whose social media popularity catapulted her to instant fame ³.