There is ambiguity and debate concerning its origins, with various accounts of the musical styles in the Johannesburg townships.[1][2][3][4] Because it has some similarities with bacardi house,[5] some people assert the genre began in Pretoria but it remains uncertain.[6][7][8] Various accounts of who formed the popular genre make it impossible to accurately pinpoint its origins.[4][9]
The word amapiano is a Zulu word that can be loosely translated to "the pianos",[10][11][12] The genre is mostly sung in one of South Africa's indigenous languages such as Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Setswana, and Xitsonga.
An important element of the genre is the prevalent use of the "log drum", a wide percussive bassline, which was popularised by producer MDU aka TRP. According to one of the amapiano pioneers, Kabza De Small, he asserts that:
"I don't know what happened. I don't know how he figured out the log drum. Amapiano music has always been there, but he's the one who came up with the log drum sound. These boys like experimenting. They always check out new plug-ins. So when MDU figured it out, he ran with it."[17]
The use of percussive basslines in South African house music predates amapiano, and was possibly pioneered by kwaito producer M’Du (also known as Mdu Masilela).[18]
Afropiano also referred to as Nigerian amapiano, a blend of afrobeats and amapiano, gained prominence in the early 2020s as a popular variant of afrobeats.[19][20]
In the mid-2010s circa early 2020s, Gqom 2.0 emerged as a subgenre of gqom,[21][22] alongside other gqom variants for instance 3-Step and sghubu.[23][24] Gqom 2.0 is distinguished by a slowed-down tempo and incorporates elements from amapiano, afrohouse and afrotech.[22]
Ojapiano is a fusion of the traditional Igbo instrument Ọjà and subgenre of amapiano which emerged in Nigeria in the early 2020s. The term was coined by Kcee in the 2020s. There have been several pioneers of the genre since its emergence including Kcee, Snazzy the Optimist, Oxlade and renowned American pop rock band OneRepublic.[25][26][27][28]
Popiano blends pop with amapiano.[29] A notable illustration is the 2021 single "Overdue" by record producers Kooldrink, DJ Lag and singer, Tyla which showcased a fusion of popiano and gqom.[30] Since popiano's inception Tyla has been deemed "The Queen of Popiano".[29]
In 2019, the genre experienced increased popularity across the African continent, with noted increases in digital streams and chart successes in countries far from its South African origin.[31][32]
In 2021, an awards ceremony was created that was dedicated to the genre, the South Africa Amapiano Music Awards.[33]
In 2022, the American online music store Beatport added the genre to its platform with its own dedicated charts and playlists.[34]
The genre was popular amongst young people on social media platforms, where videos using amapiano music were uploaded, which fueled the dancing scene in South Africa.[35]
Amapiano music has always been dominated mainly by men. Social media users in South Africa are constantly fighting to change the narratives about how they helped the country advance.[36] In October 2023, the amapiano song, "Water" by Tyla gained international prominence following a viral bacardi house dance challenge on social media.[37] It became the first song by a South African soloist to enter the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 55 years,[38] and was a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, the Netherlands, Sweden and New Zealand, where it reached number one.[39]
The genre's popularity has created a proliferation internationally. Examples of such are Nigerian artist Davido's "Champion Sound" with South African artist Focalistic. This track was a major hit, additionally the track "Monalisa" by Lojay featuring Chris Brown contains the signature "log drum", also known as the slit drum and other amapiano percussive elements.[40]
