SA: Apple Music adds Mr JazziQ as latest Isgubhu cover star

The announcement follows the release of his highly-anticipated debut album ALL YOU NEED IS PIANO (2022), which is available for streaming on Apple Music in Spatial Audio.

To celebrate the honour, Mr JazziQ created an exclusive Isgubhu playlist for Apple Music showcasing African sounds that have influenced him over the course of his career.

“This is a selection of all the flavours I like from the African sound. It also has some sentimental experience for me,” he told Apple Music. “All these different sounds contribute a lot to my music personally and it’s been so motivating to be part of the music curation to bring all happiness to the people.”

Mr JazziQ, real name Tumelo Manyoni, is among the prominent amapiano producers in South Africa. He was introduced to the innovative sounds of Oskido and Black Coffee by his father and his uncle.

By his late teens Mr JazziQ was a seasoned DJ and producer, joining forces with Josiah De Disciple in 2017 to start the amapiano DJ duo JazziDisciples. But it was his solo venture that saw him carve out his own path, releasing his debut album Party With The English (2021) as an acknowledgement of the genre’s explosion on an international scale.

Taking over Isgubhu By… for this month is deep house DJ and producer DJ Buhle. After winning the prestigious accolade of Best Female DJ at the Directing Marketing Association South Africa Awards in 2019 and being identified as one of the Top 10 deep house DJs on the continent, DJ Buhle continues her domination of South African’s club culture, collaborating with venues across Johannesburg to curate memorable musical moments.

With five eclectic dance music EPs under her belt that have seen her collaborate with multiple internationally renowned producers, and the launch of her record label Bezulu Records in May, DJ Buhle continues to live out her musical ambitions to the fullest.

Launched in early 2021, Isgubhu is the definitive home of African dance and electronic music on Apple Music and spotlights and elevates the work of African electronic DJs, producers and creatives. Isgubhu, a Zulu word meaning “beat” and used to refer to a banging song, 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 across the world.

Isgubhu also houses a collection of playlists including Spotlight On – a focus on boutique labels like Soul Candi, House Afrika, Stay True Sounds and Uganda’s Hakuna Kulala and Nyege Nyege Tapes, and Isgubhu Voices – a focus on the best dance and electronic tracks that feature vocals.