Africa’s budding music scene has garnered attention from companies and labels all over for the past few years, making it a major global player. Now Apple Music is stepping up to create a dedicated platform to pay homage to its roots.
Isgubhu — which is a Zulu word meaning “beat” — is Apple Music’s exclusive destination for all things dedicated to African Dance and Electro music, including subgenres like Gqom, Amapiano, Kwaito, Mzansi House, Deep House and Shangaan Electro.
According to a press release, the new platform aims to honor an evergreen set of genres and artists who have been pivotal in shaping the Dance and Electronic scene around the world like South African artists Black Coffee and DJ Lag, Kenyan producers Euggy and Slikback, prolific Ugandan group Nihiloxica.
“Apple Music has been a long term supporter of the incredible DJs, artists and producers within the Dance and Electronic music community in Africa and we’re very excited about the launch of Isgubhu,” said Stephen Campbell — Apple Music’s Global Head of Dance and Electronic music — in a statement. “Our regional teams are true advocates for the culture and we’re committed to continuing to connect artists to a global audience.”
In addition to the new platform, Isgubhu will also spotlight a collection of African playlists like Spotlight On: a focus on boutique African dance & electronic labels; Isgubhu Voices: a focus on the best Dance and Electronic tracks; as well as a specially-curated playlist by Black Coffee, the first Isgubhu cover star.
“It’s a true honour to be titled as the very first Isgubhu hero artist by my friends at Apple Music,” Black Coffee shared in a statement. “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.”
Moreover, one hand-selected artist will curate a playlist comprised of their favorite African Dance and Electronic albums to feature each month — the first artist up is DJ Lag.
This unique stance taken by Apple Music drives home the message that Africa’s music scene deserves more props for what they’ve accomplished. The streaming giant’s platform is a model example of how other music companies can further support the continent’s musical endeavors.
For more information about Isgubhu, click here.
