On the 23rd of August, South Africa’s pulsating sound of Amapiano will break new international ground, as it crosses shores to the UK. The unique sound, a mix of piano keys, threaded with the uniquely South African music genres of Kwaito, diBacardi and House will now be introduced to a broader market.
South African dance music DJ and Producer, Da Kruk is the new radio host of Ama-International. The strictly Amapiano show will feature up-and-coming talent looking into their personal stories with music and their role in the culture. It will also countdown the top 5 tracks of the week.
Da Kruk’s relationship with the exciting sound of Amapiano started off with him as a fan of the music, as it criss-crossed the hang out spots of South African townships, going viral on social media and distributed furiously via WhatsApp.
The dance music DJ hosted a weekly four hour music show on Yfm, dubbed The Players Club on Saturdays, which attracted a cult following of fans eager for the latest tunes. Da Kruk then scoured the socials for Amapiano talent to feature on his show, creating a popular segment known as “Amapiano Hour”, this gave birth to the genre’s first commercial radio platform. Since then, the “monster disruptor”(as he calls it) has had a life of its own and given rise to new talent.
“We’ve got this monster, it’s got a captive audience and it’s disrupted South African music in a big way. Ama-International is South Africa’s letter to the world, we have our own sound and you should hear it.” – Da Kruk.
The show will air every Thursday from 21h00 to 23h00 BST on The Beat London 1036 FM and every Sunday between 14h00 – 16h00 BST on Drums Radio (www.drumsradio.com)