Boiler Room showcases South African house talent

This local event continues the global partnership between Boiler Room, one of the world’s most popular and authentic online music channels, and Ballantine’s, the world’s no. 2 Scotch whiskey. Launched in early 2014 with its first event in Mexico, this partnership saw the creation of the ‘Boiler Room & Ballantine’s Stay True Journeys’, which explores and celebrates the stories of the world’s most vibrant music scenes. The Stay True Journeys have already travelled to three continents – and Boiler Room will be the first show of this scale in South Africa and the first time it will be broadcast live online from the country via the microsite Boilerroom.TV/StayTrue.

Boiler Room lands on SA soil at a time when our house music (r)evolution is in the global spotlight. Pioneering producers, artists and DJ’s are touring the world taking our sound to eager international ears. The world has taken notice. The world is listening.

“We always thought that house was big internationally, because that’s where we got it from. But I’ve realized that we have the biggest house scene in the world in South Africa,” says Black Coffee.

Culoe De Song adds: “There is a lot of energy, a lot of hunger, a lot of kids getting into house music. It’s our time now and it’s exciting!”

Stay True South Africa will culminate in the production of an online documentary, shot on location in Johannesburg, that will take the country – and the world – on a journey through South Africa’s house music, featuring global and local musicians exploring the stories and the people that create our unique music culture. The documentary will be available early April on Boilerroom.tv.

“We are very excited to be involved with bringing Boiler Room to South Africa,” says Daryl Dixon, Ballantine’s SA Brand Manager. “Ballantine’s is about authenticity, self-belief, staying true to yourself and leaving an impression. This fits perfectly with Boiler Room’s ethos of uncovering and showcasing genuine talent from a diverse range of music genres around the world – and now here at home too.”

Blaise Bellville, founder of Boiler Room added: “Boiler Room and Ballantine’s partnership is all about exploring and documenting the world’s most authentic and original underground music scenes. We’ve watched the South African electronic scene explode in recent years with artists like Black Coffee, Okmalumkoolkat and Culoe De Song gaining widespread international recognition. All of this made Johannesburg, the beating heart of South Africa’s house scene, a very obvious choice for the fifth stop on our global Stay True Journey.”

Tickets are not for sale and fans stand the chance to WIN tickets exclusively through Ballantine’s SA and Boiler Room channels.