Amapiano, the infectious South African house music genre, has come a long way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While debates swirl about its origins, the consensus is clear: Amapiano is South African house music. Not everyone, however, discovered this mesmerizing and compelling sound at the same time.<\/p>\n
For some,\u00a0their first introduction to the genre was the\u00a0viral “Whistle Girl” video<\/a>, wherein Reneiloe Seemane vibes to “Jebson” by Kabza De Small and Thebelebe. For EDM.com<\/em> readers, the Amapiano wave washed over in the latter half of 2020, when we highlighted its swelling influence on TikTok<\/a>.<\/p>\n That was before Uncle Waffles ignited a new surge with her “People are burning”\u00a0post, which not only transformed her career, but also amplified the genre’s global reach.\u00a0Today, Amapiano resonates worldwide, with\u00a0TitoM & Yuppe’s\u00a0“Tshwala Bam” echoing through clubs and social media.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are burning \ud83d\ude33\u201d pic.twitter.com\/H5JRg8sXHX<\/a><\/p>\n — Waffles\ud83d\udc09 (@unclewaffffles) October 16, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n It would be difficult\u2014and unconvincing\u2014to attribute the success of Amapiano to a single moment. Instead, the world is witnessing a\u00a0remarkable\u00a0domino effect of moments, platforms and artists that have collectively championed the Amapiano sound.<\/p>\n Since 2020, there’s been an immeasurable amount of totemic moments for the genre. The 2021 BET HipHop Awards featured an Amapiano cypher, Beatport officially recognized Amapiano as a genre<\/a> the following year and Uncle Waffles in 2023 became the first Amapiano DJ to perform on Coachella’s legendary mainstage. These milestones, alongside niche festivals, labels and agencies catering to the genre, have further fueled the genre’s rise.<\/p>\n The Amapiano sound, a cocktail of sultry synths, euphoric keys and infectious percussion, has infiltrated clubs worldwide and every corner of the internet, thanks to the DJs behind the decks. Their performances, social media posts, dance moves, mixes and tracks have helped the genre skyrocket in popularity around the world.<\/p>\n As Amapiano continues to extend far beyond the confines of South Africa, here are 10 DJs you need on your radar.<\/p>\n What\u2019s better than one Amapiano DJ? Two. Most people swear Tarryn Reid and Clairise Hefke are twins. The truth is, they\u2019re not. But like peanut butter and jelly, they harmonize effortlessly, enhancing each other\u2019s essence.<\/p>\n Their\u00a0onstage\u00a0chemistry together has inspired countless female DJs to adopt the “TxC formula” by joining forces as a duo. While many have sprung up in their wake, TxC have stood out internationally as trailblazers. When they aren\u2019t touring the US and Europe or lighting up clubs in Dubai, they craft Amapiano bangers in the studio.<\/p>\n TxC is of those Amapiano acts everyone simply needs to see live at least once in their life. What sets their live performances apart from the rest is the entertaining and energetic way they commandeer all stages, both big and small.<\/p>\n\n
TxC<\/a><\/h2>\n