A reveller at Zone 6 in Soweto, Johannesburg, during a Hood vs Burbs event. (Photo: Setumo-Thebe Mohlomi/ Supplied)
South Africa owes much to the communal culture that developed in its townships before, during and after apartheid. The practice of temporary exchange underpins this culture. Often out of necessity, neighbours borrow from each other to survive particularly challenging periods. A good neighbour is one who willingly returns what they have borrowed. A less upstanding neighbour is one from whom one must borrow that very thing which was loaned, because much time has elapsed since the original exchange.
Amapiano is rooted in this culture of borrowing. The electronic music phenomenon dominating mainstream and informal music sectors in South Africa borrows from genres of music that have flourished in the townships for decades. Jazz’s most significant contribution has been on the keys, as the genre’s name implies, with early amapiano – which was mostl