Afro House
A South African house style with deep, spiritual chords and African percussion.
History
Afro house is a South African form of house music s1. It keeps the four-to-the-floor house beat but uses deep, spiritual chords and African drums and rhythms s1. The style grew in the 1990s and became much more popular in the 2000s s1. Black Coffee, from Durban, became its most famous producer and DJ s1. His track 'Superman' (2015) is one of the widely known Afro house records s1. Culoe De Song's 'Webaba' (2011) and &ME's 'The Rapture' (2012) were also widely played s2. The style mixes warm bass, echoing chords and sometimes live singing s1. In the 2020s Afro house became popular in Europe and the United States, and many producers outside South Africa began making it s2. It is still closely tied to South African clubs and radio s1. The style is also played on South African radio and at large outdoor events. Some later records mix it with other local dance sounds s1.
Sound
- A deep, steady four-to-the-floor beat
- Spiritual, echoing chords
- African hand drums and percussion
- Warm, rolling basslines
- Soulful or chanting vocals
Key figures
- Black Coffee — South African DJ and producer
- Culoe De Song — South African producer of 'Webaba'
- &ME — German producer of 'The Rapture'
- Boddhi Satva — Producer linked to Central African house sounds
Labels
- Soulistic Music — Johannesburg , 2003
- Innervisions — Berlin , 2005
- Keinemusik — Berlin , 2009
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Deep House , Garage House , Chicago House
Led to: Organic House
Sources
- Afro house — Wikipedia
- Afro house: a guide — Blondish