Apple Music's Isgubhu Offers a Distinctive Home for Africa's Dance and Electro Music

Apple Music has reportedly launched a new destination site Isgubhu for Africa's dance and electro music genres. Isgubhu has been created as an homage to Africa's dance and electro music's global prominence. African subgenres amapiano, gqom, kwaito, Bolobedo house, Shangaan electro, Mzansi house and deep house will be more accessible through dedicated collections. Apple Music has borrowed from a popular Zulu term "isgubhu" for the newly launched music destination. The term which refers to any hollow vessel or container that can create a beat has evolved with music; from describing a drum or the act drumming to becoming a colloquial term that refers to any beat or banging song.

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Isgubhu will spotlight esteemed industry players of certain genres who were pivotal to creating music classics. Soul Candi, a recording label which is historically known for its longstanding, high quality house music productions will be cast into the spotlight. House Afrika, Stay True Sounds and Uganda's Hakuna Kulala and Nyege Nyege Tapes are notable recording labels that will feature on "Spotlight On".

"Spotlight Voices" voices, on the other hand, will focus on the vocal and lyrical side of the music through well curated playlist from industry musicians and DJs. Black Coffee, who recently dropped his latest album "Subconsciously", has been announced as the first curator of Spotlight Voices playlist. The first Isgubhu cover star reportedly commented on being the first to lead the new home of Africa's dance music: "To me home is everything... the absolute core of my being. Bringing the sounds of South Africa to the world is a life-long mission I'll never stop chasing after".

Apple Music also announced that there will be a spotlight through "Isgubhu By" where one handpicked artist will curate their favourite African Dance and Electronic albums to feature for the month. The first "Isgubhu By" artist will be international gqom maestro, DJ Lag.

South Africa's music scene is diverse with emergent original music beats like Bolobedu house and Shangaan electro carving a caveat in the music scene. Isgubhu is admittedly needed and comes after the South African Music Awards (SAMAs) finally recognised gqom and amapiano as separate music categories. Prince Kaybee, Black motion, DBN GOGO, DJ Zinhle, Da Capo, Stiff Pap, Kenyan producers Euggy and Slikback as well as Uganda's prolific group Nihiloxica and more artists are featured in the collections.

Visit Isgubhu on iTunes.