Rabat – Spotify has featured Moroccan DJ and Music producer Flomine in its latest documentary on Amapiano, a South African music genre that is gaining momentum in Morocco and the rest of the world.
Emerged in 2012 in South Africa, Ampiano is a mix of deep house, jazz and lounge music. The Spotify documentary has featured artists from South Africa and across the world whose music was inspired by the Ampiano music genre.
“When you mix Ampiano with traditional Moroccan music [gnawa], it connects people. And when you introduce live instruments, people just love it, as it’s changing culture,” Flomine said.
The Moroccan DJ spoke about his latest song, “Ghorba,” in which he reinvented and explored the South African genre in a unique way. “Ghorba is not only Amapiano, it’s a mixture with a lot of live instruments,” he said.
According to Spotify, Amapiano has seen remarkable international success over the past two years, with more than 563% streams outside of Sub-Saharan Africa and over 980 million global streams to date.
Spotify predicts that Ampiano streams on its platforms will reach 1 billion in July 2022.
Online music store Beatport has recently added Ampiano to its list of genre categories. It was previously labeled under Afro House, Deep House, and Dance/Electro Pop, but its growing community of musicians allowed it to secure its own category.
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Some of the genre’s pioneers include DJ Maphorisa, Major League DJz, DBN Gogo, and production team MFR Souls, who are credited with coining the genre’s name.
According to Spotify, the documentary serves as an introduction to the new series “Spotify: Music That Moves.” It focuses on local music that “crosses borders and shapes cultures in unexpected places.”
As one of the leading social media platforms, TikTok has become a new music marketing sensation for various genres, including Ampiano.
“The appeal of Ampiano is rooted in dance and rhythm, and platforms such as TikTok have helped export the movement to millions all over the world,” Spotify explained.
