TitoM, premiered Apr 4, 2024
WHAT IS AMAPIANO? Excerpt #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amapiano "Amapiano, a Nguni word loosely translated to "the pianos", is a subgenre of kwaito and house music that emerged 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.
The word amapiano is a IsiZulu or IsiXhosa, or dipiano is a
word loosely translated to "the pianos",[6] The genre is mostly sang
in Zulu and Xhosa, Sotho, Setswana, Xitsonga, one of South Africa's native
tongues.
Description
...Amapiano is distinguished by high-pitched piano melodies, kwaito from South Africa basslines, low tempo 1990s South African house rhythms and percussions from another local subgenre of house known as tribal house.[9]
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 amapiano pioneer Kabza De Small:
"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.[10]"...
****
Excerpt #2
From https://www.quora.com/What-do-you-think-of-the-Amapiano-music-genre-from-South-Africa "What do you think of the Amapiano music genre from South
Africa?"
Bratha Dan, 2022
..."Signature dance moves like the “pouncing cat” and the
phrase “amapiano is a lifestyle” went viral. [Amapiano] music won the hearts of
many South Africans and became part of popular youth and urban culture. More
tracks blew up, more names emerged, and the genre began to dominate.
[...]
Sometimes people might not understand what they really say
in many of those amapiano songs, but what matters to them is how the vibe puts
them up on the dance floor."
**
Excerpt #3
From https://www.quora.com/How-did-the-Amapiano-music-originate-and-from-which-country "How did Amapiano Originate a nd from which country?
BoB, 2021
..."Amapiano for the unaware is the Zulu word for piano and it
is used to describe the mishmash of house, jazz and lounge blended together
into the distinctive sound that is amapiano.
Being it is originated from the Zulu language that should
tip you to which country it originated in but if you said South Africa that
would suffice. It’s development has been not attributed to anyone in particular
as there is a great deal of debate in regard to the origin of the genre .
The genre was predominately localized to South Africa but around 2020 it began to gain in popularity across the continent. A very lively, likeable music and well worth the time to explore
****
TSHWALA BAM & WHY THIS SONG HAS GONE VIRAL IN SOUTH AFRICAN & WORLDWIDE
Excerpt #1
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLRrXFQ2jaE "Tshwala Bam - The hardest Amapiano dance challenge ever?", premiered by MJ Wemoto, April 7, 2024
[This video begins with the narrator saying]
"I bet you’ve seen this dance challenge before.This one.* It has gone crazy on Tik Tok,
YouTube, wherever. But it’s there and people are trying to replicate the dance,
and as a result the song itself has become a worldwide hit”…:
*This comment refers to a brief Tik Tok clip of three young Black men wearing all black clothing dancing at home
****
Excerpt #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK4dC7rASYs "TitoM & Yuppe - Tshwala Bam [Ft. S.N.E & EeQue]
(Official Music Video).
This is the video that is given at the top of this pancocojam post.
[These comments are given in no particular order, except for replies. Numbers added for referencing purpose; all of the comments are from 2024]
1.@JG-st5tp
"THIS TOOK THE ENTIRE WORLD OUT FROM AFRICA TO THE CARIBBEAN
TO THE AMERICAS TO EUROPE & THE ASIAN COUNTRIES, THE ENTIRE PLANET IS
HOOKED ON THIS! WELL DONE YALL DID GREAT KEEP MAKING AMAZING MUSIC FOR THE
PLANET! BIG UP YA SELF"
**
2. @DonatusOkechukwuOkoli-zc7nz
"This song is becoming an anthem across the African
continent.
The beat is very contagious!!!
Love to South Africa.
From Lagos, Nigeria 🇳🇬."
**
3. @seyramaddai
"Global Sensation it is"
**
4. @patricemeshack9924
"Bump this song on your stereo it’s CRAZY!!! The beat is sick"
**
5. @MODARTIQUE
"I'm Guatemalan living in the US and I just want to say that
I love African music. It's so innovative, it sounds so fresh and it's so hard
not to want to dance when hearing the beautiful rhythms. African music is the
future of music."
**
Reply
@dijonay971
6. Yes, and Africa has always been here and was way ahead of
its time even when you listen to the older African tunes. The world is just
finally catching up.
South Africa, in particular, has always been a powerhouse in
music. I say that as a Senegalese :)"
**
7. @KabeloGenaro
"And it's number 7 on the US Billboard Afrobeats Chart. It
made it to the American market and it's sang in a a South African language
100%. This reminds me of Jerusalem "
**
Reply
8. @chrishlongwa6376
"Not even one but in TWO widely different SA indigenous
languages, isiZULU AND seTSWANA. Proudly Za"
-snip-
"ZA" = the nation of South Africa
**
9. @stonecoldp1090
"This right here is everything all the other music videos was
missing... the culture, different generations.. having a good time... no guns,
no money flashing, no drugs, or dissing... this is the blueprint on how a
song/video supposed to be and eye hope it goes far... much respect to everyone
in the video, from America. Shoutout to tiktok for putting me on this tressure."
**
Reply
10, @user-ks2xq6zd2l
"Or naked women. I love to see this it’s so refreshing!!"
**
11. @edyx001
"Music language just proves that language barrier is sheer
illusion because damn what in the heavens of entertainment is this song! I
can’t recognize a single word but literally playing it back and forth for the
7th time now."
**
12. @Stuloo03
"This has to be one of the best Amapiano music videos️"
**
13. @user-gf5ow5gn7c
"I'm so happy for the inclusion of those 3 guys who came up with this tshwala bami
globalchallenge in this video."
**
14. @kitsontuli2713
"So happy to see the Church girlies in the video"
-snip-
Comment #13 and #14 refer to the inclusion of those and other Tik Tok dance challenges clips in the official YouTube video for "Tshwala Bam".
**
15. @beltonconceptz
"Amapiano is NOT just the beat or the log drum, it is the
language as well that's why South Africa Amapiano touches the soul. #FACTS"
**
16. @RichardKofi-dr2yd
"I don't understand one word, but I have it on repeat. The
power of music."
**
17.@reubenekai8181
"This song has United Africans on TikTok 🇿🇦🇿🇦
from 🇰🇪"
**
Reply
18. @youneslmr-kq1dv
"as an Algerian 🇩🇿 ... the gate
of north africa
we approve that this banger has united us all ...MAMA AFRICA"
**
19. @siyaselani7750
"2 Million views in less than a week. The impact of this song in South African
Clubs is mind blowing 🇿🇦"
**
20. @ashanafipal3511
"The Video didn't disappoint at all. They went full cultural
with it.. Big ups from Australia"
**
21. @Jah_Nzola
"Shout out to my SAns from your African American cousins🇺🇸,
this joint is pure flames amapiano been had the wave"
**
22.@zinhle_dladla
"They were not dancing to this sing someone edited their video and added this
song"
-snip-
*This comment refers to the three young Black men wearing all black clothes dancing to this song in multiple Tshwala Bam Tik Tok challenges compilations.
**
Reply
23. @mambamzwandile202
"Even though they weren't dancing to this song ,fact is they made the song big international
with that dance
move.@maameefyatenkorang5324 exactly my
disappointment, i expected to see more of them dancing in the official video"
**
24. @iraildosilva6998
"🇧🇷️🇿🇦
I couldn't stay out of this, this success that is admirable in several
countries and I'm here in Brazil, I love this beat and this dance, hugs my
African brothers"
**
25. @OnlyoneXmp
"5m in 12 days let this comment go viral"
****
Excerpt #3
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1n8B6J1JF8 "TitoM & Yuppe - Tshwala Bam [Feat. S.N.E & EeQue]
(Official Audio)", posted by Africori, Feb 22, 2024
-snip-
Total # of comments as of April 17,2024 at 10:55AM ET = 10,841,817
1. @LeahHannahSpeaks
"As an African-American born and raised I’m telling you right
now African music is putting pressure in this music industry in a great way. I
hope you all get paid like you supposed to! Whatever you do; please stay
positive in the message in your music to protect the youth. You have a
responsibility to your culture to shine with positive lyrics in a positive
light. Don’t fall for the okey-doke."
**
Reply
2. @siyambonani8802
"Ain't nothing positive about Tshwala bami or most piano songs. It's just vibey"
**
Reply
3. @terranceshepherd6717
"And the dances"
**
Reply
4. @juliovila3942
Nice music, good vibes, and danceable ."
**
Reply
5 @chrishlongwa6376
"@siyambonani8802 why you lie in public platform? A song about
alcohol addiction messing his life, is not positive enough for you? And most
amapiano hits are aspirational, about love, not about fighting or women hating
as in some overseas genres. Tell me one amapiano song in SA top 10 currently
that is not positive! And how?"
**
Reply
6. @marvreid7364
"No, it's really not. It, like many things before is a fad
because of snippets on social media, bordered by cute girls doing silly dances.
After the smoke clears it'll disappear like Tems and all the other. Be
realistic, the average Black American will like it because everyone else
does...until they don't."
**
Reply
7. @chrishlongwa6376
"@marvreid7364 wishful thinking. And average Black American
and you above average? By you seeing silly dances instead of what they see as
trendy and coolest dances? And what music and dances after your 'smoke clears'?"
**
Reply
8. @LeahHannahSpeaks
"@chrishlongwa6376 first of all I haven’t said anything
insulting to you. what is your problem? Please explain yourself because I don’t
understand where this upset energy is coming from. I don’t even speak the
language of this song nor do I know it.
I just know when I heard it I felt instant positivity, whatever you feel about me or African-Americans you just keep it to yourself! The world wouldn’t even have a electricity, refrigerators, blood plasma transformation that save lives for, a computer, elevators, home security systems, stoplights, x-ray imaging, and there’s 1000s of other inventions which we African-Americans have built with the world is using so we’re not average if anything we above average! where the trendsetters everybody copy what African-Americans bring out of the United States. And here it is, everybody use us and our brains and never give us a credit. And they are so quick to show the world a negative outlook on African-Americans so watch what you say!
One thing about African-Americans we are delighted and we
love African people! so stop hating on us Black American people!
**
Reply
9. @LeahHannahSpeaks
"@marvreid7364 it’s just a song I gave a compliment about
it. I don’t know the South Africans languages, so I don’t know what they’re
saying. I’m just enjoy the beat. It feels good. End of story."
**
Reply
10. @urbannuance5151
" @marvreid7364 your right, even though I like Afro beats
and Ampiano it's repetitive and eventually the wind up being ABSORBED into
Black American music genres. Because we LEAD THE WAY."
**
Reply
11. @urbannuance5151
" @chrishlongwa6376 no he's right, it's just like reggaeton,
it has a wave, but eventually they just
started using Black American trap beats, Reggaeton is basically DEAD in the
mainstream. Just like Reggae. It has a moment of shine. But EVENTUALLY,
everyone wants to convert over to a more AMERICAN sound."
**
Reply
12. @Kabelo8_
"@LeahHannahSpeaks don't mind him tshwala bam just means my
alcohol there is nothing big about that"
**
Reply
13. @LeahHannahSpeaks
"@Kabelo8_ you are right. I don't under the language I just enjoyed
their voices and the sound of the music."
**
Reply
14. @Kabelo8_
"@LeahHannahSpeaks it doesn't matter if you don't understand
the language it's all about the vibe"
****
ADDENDUM -HOW TO PRONOUNCE "TSH" IN ISIZULU AND NDEBELE WORDS
Excerpt #1
From https://files.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/audio/languagelessons/southafrica/ZA_isiZulu_Language_Lessons.pdf
…“tsh -this is pronounced as in the English word “cheek”,
although the Zulu sound is more ejective; e.g. tshinga {throw away}."
****
Excerpt #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tix0wwuR8Wk "Mastering The Ndebele/Zulu Tongue Series - PART 4 - Dl - Hl
& Tsh" published by Learn Ndebele, May 14, 2012
-snip-
The section on pronouncing "tsh" begins around 2:31 to around 4:15. The narrator speaks English while giving an explanation about how to pronounce these letters in some Ndebele/Zulu words. There's also an English script in the video. Here's part of that script
"Please note: There are two ways to say tsh. The first is straightforward, as
above the [ch] sound.
The second is made in a similar way to the [ch] sound but
this time you add a bit of heaviness to the sound by making it a little more forceful sounding and a little more deeper.”
**
Excerpt #3
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLRrXFQ2jaE "Tshwala Bam - The hardest Amapiano dance challenge ever?", premiered by MJ Wemoto, April 7, 2024
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
The song title "Tshwala Bam" isn't pronounced in most TikTok or YouTube dance challenge videos. However, the narrator of this video says that song and dance title a lot. Of course, it also is repeated a lot in that record.
Here's how I (as an African American) hear "Tshwala Bam" being pronounced in that song and by that video narrator= "cha
lah bahm” [with no syllables accentuated].. Corrections are very welcome.
****
ADDENDUM - INFORMATION ABOUT THE LYRICS FOR THE SONG "TSHWALA BAM"
Excerpt #1
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQnIdM1RYAs "AMAPIANO SONG OF THE YEAR!?😱🇿🇦|
Tshwala Bam BRITISH FIRST REACTION ft. Tiktok Dance
IC Phoenix, April 12, 2024
@sfundomabaso3200 Apr 12, 2024
"Tshwala Bam means my liquor. In the song the two artists are
telling tales about their liquor experience and asking forgiveness for their
behaviour while lit".
Excerpt #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmRytlCb9xk posted by Njabulo Masina, Mar 8, 2024
"Pinned by Njabulo Masina
@artarellano, 2024
"The song ["Tshwala Bama" ]delves into themes related to alcohol use and its
consequences, rather than glorifying it. The lyrics speak about the struggle
with alcohol (“utshwala” means alcohol in Zulu), its impact on the narrator’s
life, including financial issues (“Ngaqeda imali yami” translates to “I
finished my money”), relationships (“Endlini bakhala ngami” translates to “They
cry about me at home”), and social responsibilities. The repetitive plea for
forgiveness (“Ngixolele mzala”) suggests a sense of regret and a desire for
redemption. Additionally, there’s a reference to the burden it brings
(“Wang’sinda umthwalo wami” means “You lifted my burden”), indicating the heavy
impact of alcohol on the narrator’s life. The song seems to be a reflective
piece on the downsides of alcohol consumption, highlighting personal
accountability and the social and emotional toll it can take."
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
I've spent some time in the last three days watching a number of YouTube videos of "Tshwala Bam" YouTube videos, reading those videos' discussion threads, and reading a few other online articles that I found on that song/video and/or amapiano music in general.
ReplyDeleteHere's a few points that I've concluded:
1. The reason why the song "Tshwala Bam" and other amapiano songs have become viral in South Africa and worldwide is because of their sound and beat and scarcely at all because of their lyrics. This appears to be the case even in South Africa among those who understand the language/s that are being sung in those songs and is especially the case worldwide among those who don't understand those languages.
Very few people in the discussion threads I read about the "Tshwala Bam" video, sound file, and dance challenges asked about the meaning of that song. That subject didn't appear to be important to those commenters. Instead, the subjects raised in those discussions are the beat, the sound, how people dance/d to that music, and whether or not people outside of South Africa should perform or even dance to amapiano music (i.e. should South Africa gatekeep amapiano music from non-South Africans, and particularly from Nigerians.)
[to be continued in the next comment]
[continuation of the above comment]
Delete2. Because "Tshwala Bam" is difficult for people from outside of South Africa to pronounce, I predict that it's likely that that name for this dance will either be changed or won't be remembered even in a short period of time outside of South Africa, and especially not in the United States and other mostly English speaking nations.
One Tshwala Bam dance challenge that I watched referred to that dance as "the Zombie dance", but that referent for that dance hasn't caught on and rightly so because I don't think that the dance motions really look like how zombies move, and the lyrics to the song don't have anything to do with zombies.
It also occurs to me that it would be remarkable if any names of South African contemporary dances - or any other African contemporary [or traditional dances] became commonly known in the United States since that hasn't been the case to date. Yes, I know this is our loss, but I think this is the case up to this time.
Here's the dance challenge video compilation that I came across which referred to "Tshwala Bam" as "the Zombie dance": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M85_vYs3vw "Tshwala Bam Zombie Dance Compilations -| TikTok Viral" published by eHub, Feb 25, 2024
DeleteHere's a comment exchange about the name "Zombie" for this dance from that video's discussion thread (with numbers added for referencing purposes only)
@EarlyBird792, 2024
1. "Zombie???? What the hell!!! Who gave it that name?
Reply
2. @ThatGuy-jr1wr, 2024
"Bro!!! Like they always want to associate evil with the Yanos."
-snip-
Here's a definition for the word "yanos" as it is used in the nation of South Africa:
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Yanos
"Yanos
Yanos is a shortened word for amapiano, which is a musical genre that originates in South Africa. It is a sub-constituent of house music genre that is characterized by a hybrid of deep house, jazz, and lounge music. It is easily distinguishable by synths, airy pads, and wide basslines.
Jamming the latest yanos really made our road trip memorable."
by Guluva November 11, 2020
In some other pancocojams posts I noted my belief that ,generally speaking, people in the United States weren't and still aren't cosmopolitan, in the sense that we haven't been and still aren't aware of and comfortable with the cultures of other places around the world.
DeleteOne of the things that I've noticed time and time again after reading discussion threads of YouTube videos of contemporary African music and dance videos is how aware African commenters from different regions of that continent are of certain songs from other African nations. In some discussion threads people recall growing up with songs from other African nations and singing those songs even if they changed a lot of the lyrics to fit their own languages. And for example, there's lots of comments about a South African song quickly becoming a hit in Kenya and being played on the radio and in nightclubs. The song becomes viral because its beat is so danceable even if people don't know the language that is being sung in that song. Maybe that's because Africans are used to hearing and knowing more than one language.
In contrast, for the most part, people from the United States (myself included) only know one language-English. And, generally speaking, we are definitely not used to hearing another language being spoken on our streets and in our mass media. As a result, I believe we have to stretch (grow) to become as used to accepting the naturalness of hearing other languages as people from Africa (and some other continents) come to accept just because it is normal to hear those languages. So, as a result, it seems to me that (again generally speaking), we Americans from the United States have to work harder to become more cosmopolitan (accepting and embracing of other cultures).
I think that the internet has been and continues to be a BIG help regarding this, although we've United Staters have got a long way to go for instance regarding our attitudes toward and embracing of music that isn't sung in English.
In the United States the internet provides (usually free and easily accessed) opportunities to second hand experience cultures throughout the world. So with regard to contemporary African dances, even if people -in the USA and elsewhere-don't remember the names of specific dances from other nations, we have documentation of those dances so we can read about them, watch them, listen to the music that is performed for those dances, and just enjoy those dances.
DeleteMy position is that what is important is that the creators of those dances/music are recognized and honored and receive the monies that they should for their creations. I don't believe that art should be (and can be) restricted to where the art creator's live. I also don't believe that any art can remain "pure" since, even long before the internet, all cultures were blended with other cultures.
I believe that it's important to document the foundations/origins/beginnings of cultural products. But (as I have noted when it comes to children's recreational rhymes and cheers*), it's important to document the demographics of the earliest examples we can find, how those examples are performed, and the meaning of the words and their movements, and how the rhymes may have changed over time and within specific populations. However, documenting the earliest examples of a specific rhyme doesn't mean that later examples are wrong.
*I mention children's recreational rhymes & cheers here only because English language children's recreational rhymes and cheers are the area of folklore/cultural expression that I'm most interested in.