Scorpion Kings collaborate with Tresor to take Amapiano sound to the world
|Published
DJ Maphorisa, Kabza de Small and Tresor.
Johannesburg - African music, no matter where it is coming from on the continent, is fast becoming the future of sound.
For hitmakers DJ Maphorisa and Kabza de Small, leading that wave has come naturally to them.
Together under their Scorpion Kings moniker, the two have released hit after hit, taking the amapiano sound to the world.
The two have collaborated with another musician not afraid to be creative and out of the box, award winning Afro pop artist Tresor.
The duo and Tresor today released their 14-track project Rumble in the Jungle.
“This album is special for me because it represents a bold statement of pride in the diversity of our culture as Africans, embracing the rich musical landscape of our home. We went back to the source and tapped into sounds from all over the continent for this album,” said Tresor.
It was through a brand campaign collaboration that Maphorisa and Tresor came together. The hit-making producer reached out to the singer about putting an album together after having spoken about it for a long time.
“This is the first time we work together and work on a full project. It was organic and everything came together perfectly,” said Tresor.
Maphorisa’s appreciation for Tresor’s background and cultural difference (coming from the DRC) added to the creativity between the two.
“Tresor has a different vibe, texture and taste for music. He brought the Swahili, French, Lingala and for me it is expanding the piano wave so the people can reach it and continue to grow the music,” said the producer.
The Midnight Starring hitmaker is inspired by African beats and is humbled to know that amapiano is well received in different parts of the continent. He said he believed this project was going to leave a great imprint.
“This album is a gift to Africa. We are bringing the amapiano sound to the continent. We loved working on it and are excited for Africa and the world to hear it.”
The first two singles off the project are Funu and Fola Sade and they have already received a great reception. ‘Funu’ is loosely translated to mean pain. It’s basically a guy expressing how much beautiful pain he gets from a love affair. The whole thing is fun, youthful and colourful. I’m having a lot of fun dancing to this song even though I still have two left feet when it comes to amapiano,” said Tresor.
He added: “Rumble In The Jungle is a sonic roar, a cultural bridge breaking all barriers and bringing our people together through music.
“We are fusing the incredible South African rhythm of amapiano with Swahili, French, Congolese sounds and melodies, as well as West African chants with Afrobeats elements. It’s boldly authentic, unapologetic, energetic and raw.”
The album is now available to stream on Apple Music.
The Star