Kwaito
Slow South African house music with local languages, deep bass and township pride.
History
Kwaito is a music genre that began in Soweto, Johannesburg, between the late 1980s and the 1990s s1. It uses South African sounds and samples s1. Kwaito is slower than most house music s1. It has catchy loops, deep bass lines and vocals s1. The word comes from the South African slang 'kwaai', meaning 'cool' s1. The music mixes house with hip hop, jazz, dub and older South African styles such as marabi, kwela and mbaqanga s2. Early DJs slowed down house records and added local piano, percussion and melodies s2. The lyrics are mostly in township slang and mix several languages s2. Kwaito became the sound of post-apartheid township youth culture s1. Arthur Mafokate and M'du Masilela were pioneers s2. Groups such as Boom Shaka and TKZee became very popular s2. Labels such as Kalawa Jazmee released the music s2. Kwaito later shaped amapiano and afro tech s1.
Sound
- A slow house beat
- Deep bass lines
- Local South African languages and slang
- Simple keyboard melodies
- Percussive loops
Key figures
- Arthur Mafokate — Pioneer of kwaito
- M'du Masilela — Pioneer of kwaito and the log drum sound
- Boom Shaka — South African kwaito group
- TKZee — South African kwaito group
Labels
- Kalawa Jazmee — Johannesburg , 1992
- 999 Music — Johannesburg , 1990
- Ghetto Ruff — Johannesburg , 1996
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Chicago House , Deep House , Hip Hop Breaks
Sources
- Kwaito — Wikipedia
- A history of Kwaito music — South African History Online (2011)