Apple Music adds SA’s Zakes Bantwini as Isgubhu cover star

Isgubhu is a hub for African dance and electronic music on Apple Music. The initiative seeks to spotlight and elevate the work of African electronic DJs, producers and creatives. It pays homage to an evergreen set of genres and the African artists who have played a pivotal role in shaping the dance and electronic scene around the world.

The announcement follows the release of Zakes Bantwini’s Ghetto King album in December, which is merged with EDM and tribal house, spawning the hit single ‘Osama’ that peaked at No 1 on the Radiomonitor charts and subsequently spent 13 weeks there.

“Isgubhu is something I am really fond of,” Zakes Bantwini told Apple Music. “I am honoured to be featured on the programme alongside many other exciting artists. Apple Music has really created a great platform to elevate the African dance scene to new heights. I’d like to give a huge shout out to Apple Music for the continuous support. It really means a lot, not just to me, but also to the amazingly talented artists that I have worked with on my latest project.”

Over a career spanning a decade, Zakes Bantwini has added numerous strings to his musical bow as a performer, songwriter and producer. He began a new electronic-rooted chapter in 2019 when he featured on Djeff’s single ‘OUAGADOUGOU’. To honour the announcement, Zakes Bantwini has created an exclusive Isgubhu playlist featuring tracks that are on heavy rotation.

“This playlist for Apple Music is a taste of my world and what gets me going. I'm on the road quite a lot as you can imagine and I enjoy it particularly when traveling. This playlist is jampacked with so much talent that the African dance scene has to offer. I’m sure you'll love this one and I hope it fuels your productivity,” he said.

Taking over Isgubhu By… for this month is US-based Ghanaian DJ and producer Yaw Appiah. Growing up in Ghana’s bustling city of Tema, Appiah is credited for exposing untapped African sounds to the world by drawing from a range of influences. He has also made a name for himself through fusing Afro-house and tech-house.

Appiah said: “This selection for Apple Music exposes my internal desire to see people globally be free, dance and have a sense of peace. These artists offer amazing variations of African dance and electronic music which individuals globally will always connect to.”