Are These Best Afro House Music Products Of The Last Decade?

I was gently sitting on my couch in my parents home early 2018, browsing through YouTube and suddenly I saw a South African music video with a couple of million views and a very tempting thumbnail, usually, most successful songs from South Africa don't have many views on Youtube. And I was like umm... Won’t hurt to check what people see in this particular music video they are watching so bad, in my mind, I was thinking it will probably be a non-melodious song with a bunch of strange South African languages I don’t understand. I clicked and watched, at first, I noticed the colourfully crafted visuals, I was gradually enjoying the melody of the chorus in a language that I, of course, don’t understand. As it moves on towards the end I realized that I found the beat and melody very pleasing, coupled with very crispy visuals I repeated it two times more and then I realized I was in love with the song already. That is the story of how I got stuck with the House music of South Africa. just in case you are wondering which song I was talking about above? It is "Inde" by Heavy K, Bucie and Nokwazi.

Since then I have been on to so many Afro House hits from the South African music scene, the likes of Master KG and singer Zanda Zakuza's duet Skeleton Move, King Monada's Malwedhe and many more. This made me remember the popular music group Mafikizolo's continental hit back in 2013 with their popular hit "Khona", it was early into the new decade and that was the beginning of South African house music growing wider than usual, most successful songs in the country only reach majorly countries in the Southern Africa but not continental-wide.

Khona was the first major continental hit from South Africa since the days of the legendary singer Brenda Fassie, she was the only one to do it several times with her music, songs like 'Vulindela' were anthems across Africa, from West Africa to East Africa she was called the female version of Michael Jackson in Africa. 'Khona' by Mafikizolo did it again, and once again the whole continent was rocking the same song. For the last couple of months, looking at my obsession with South African house music I have struggled with myself thinking 'which Afro House song is the best in the last decade'? is it 'Inde' by Heavy K, Nokwazi and Bucie a song I am still in love with, Prince Kaybee's Banomoya, Mafikizolo's Khona, or the other continental hits like King Monada's Malwedhe, Master KG's Skeleton Move and Jerusalem, the recent Afro House anthem by DJ Zhinle 'Umlilo' and others, I ask again which is the best House Music product of the 2010s based on popularity and quality?

Then I took my time to listen and reminisce these songs all over again, and surely I realized they are all great songs with great musical contents speaking of the beats the lyrics and how perfectly these vocals were laid. I then realized there were some that felt more house music than the rest, what do I mean by this? Well, many of these songs have been grouped under dance and electronic but speaking of the term house music we all know there is a specific feeling attached to this sound, that deep electric feeling you get from the beats heaviness to the instrumentals, melodies and the vocals I feel some of these house songs I mentioned earlier, slightly move away from the qualities I mentioned above.

Banomoya is great, but many believe it to be a Gqom song, I beg to differ, It is a great Afro House record but I believe it is not "pure enough" to be an Afro House record but one can't help but appreciate the creativity behind its creation. also, Master KG's Skeleton Move is more of a dance song which if a foreign house music consumer hear they will surely not call it a house song, his other single Jerusalem with singer Nomcebo sure has the patterns and sounds of an Afro House record which I believe is a very good song with so much popularity, but it just does not give me that feeling I should get from a House song same with "Malwedhe" By King Monada. Which leaves me with these three beautiful songs, Dj Zhinle's Umlilo, Heavy K's Inde and Mafikizolo's Khona. Which among these songs is the best Afro House music product in the last ten years?

Like I said above Umlilo is great house song with great beats and contributions from three brilliant artists, Dj Zhinle, Rethabile and Mvzzle but why is the song not that huge? I mean it is arguably the song of the year in South Africa for 2019, outside the country it is not much of success, but why? I think the song's lyrics being all local language made it not that appealing to the outside world, in many cases of musical success to the outside demographics, something about the lyrics must have these foreign audiences stuck on the song, a particular set of phrase they heavily connect or relate with. Since the lyrics could not reach them the beat is supposed to do that magic, which hardly happens and I guess the beat wasn't that appealing to foreigners for them to get stuck on it, it would have been a total success though, if a successful social media challenge was attached to it just like King Monada's Malwedhe.

Now, between Heavy K's 'Inde' and Mafikizolo's 'Khona' you want to know which is the perfect Afro House piece of the decade? Last time I checked the music videos of these two songs on Youtube Khona has over 15 million views while Inde has over 10 million views. Like I have mentioned before for a song to be huge outside its original demographics the lyrics have to get to them or the beats must do. For this song by Mafikizolo, it was the beat that did it, I could remember like a lot of remixes were made from the song's instrumental back in 2013 which became local hits in Nigeria it is surely one of the most remixed South African songs ever. Every night club across must rock this particular record on that dance floor it was a huge favourite amongst Disc Jockeys continentwide which made it more popular. But did the song really get to music listeners in a personal way? I think it was more of a vibe people loved and it sounded so unique and new, people outside South Africa were taken away by that beat and flow.

And for "Inde" by Heavy K, Bucie and Nokwazi this I am totally convinced is one of the most brilliant masterpieces from the South African music industry ever. Starting from that perfectly crafted beat by Heavy-K filled with a great melody, the kick all subtle and heavy at the same time without the vocals the beat was practically screaming "I am an Afro House product look at me! Listen to me! Dance to me!" yes that is what the beat says to me every time I hear it, I believe there is no House music lover across the world that would not be able to tell this is a House music beat, they will only wonder what is the mystery behind its uniqueness since most house music consumers worldwide are not really exposed to Afro House that much yet.

And now let us talk about those brilliant vocals, the song lyrics are amazing! The English phrase from Bucie just saying "I am a queen, I'm such a queen" is a killer she later went on to talk about her life in her verse, there is nothing that could be more deep and full of life than this. Singer Nokwazi later went on to wow us with that great use of her vocal strength spitting her dialect in the most appealing way ever. This song is a major hit across all top Southern African countries. Based on reports, I hear it has some popularity amongst European and North American House Music DJs. Which means, it would be a sure commercial success in those regions and even more, if some promotion was done to reach the House Music audiences on these other continents, why? because this particular record has all it takes to capture anyone who is a consumer of great music. "Inde" by Heavy K, Bucie and Nokwazie is the best Afro House record of the last ten years and in case you disagree I ask you with complete indulgence please go listen to that record again and you will surely know where I am coming from. And maybe agree with me and others who believe this to be true.