Apple Music unveils Isgubhu channel

Isgubhu pays homage to a set of genres and African artists who have made significant contributions and shaped the dance and electronic scene in South Africa. With the playlist, Apple Music seeks to shine a spotlight and elevate the work of DJs, producers and artists like Black Coffee, Prince Kaybee, Black Motion and DJ Lag, as well as Kenyan producers Euggy, Slikback and Ugandan group Nihiloxica.

A number of sub-genres will be housed under the banner of Isgubhu, a Zulu word for ‘beat’, including gqom, amapiano, kwaito, mzansi house, deep house and shangaan electro, as well as a dedicated section for essential albums highlighting seminal African dance and electronic albums for easy discovery.

“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,” Apple Music global head of dance and electronic music Stephen Campbell said. “Our regional teams are true advocates for the culture and we’re committed to continuing to connect artists to a global audience.”

Isgubhu will include a collection of playlists such as Spotlight On and Isgubhu Voices. Spotlight On will focus on African dance and electronic labels like Soul Candi, House Afrika, Stay True Sounds and Uganda’s Hakuna Kulala and Nyege Nyege Tapes, while Isgubhu Voices will include the best dance and electronic tracks that feature vocals and an overarching genre playlist that is curated 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 said. "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 has also handpicked DJ Lag to curate his favourite African dance and electronic albums playlist.

DJ Lag said: “These are albums that shaped me. Releases like Big Nuz's Undisputed made me dream big about being a producer one day. I was only 14 at the time. I love South African dance music. I think we have a vibrant scene that keeps regenerating and reinventing itself every few years. Kwaito, Afro-house, gqom, amapiano are movements here, not only music genres.”

Isgubhu will also include a selection of exclusive DJ mixes from some of the continent’s top DJs, including DJ Zinhle, Caiiro, Kabza De Small, Kyle Watson, Stiff Pap, DBN Gogo, Da Capo and Gina Jeanz, among others.

Apple Music's Isgubhu is available here.