The protégé of the pioneer DJ Satelite, Bun Xapa shares a selection of his tracks and spreads the love for spiritual afro house in an exclusive mixtape.
We discovered Bun Xapa on “Mama Africa,” a true anthem from the Seres Produções 200 compilation, which celebrated 20 years of activity from the Angolan label. Coming from the Township of Thaba Nchu in South Africa, this student now living in Porto started by producing hip-hop beats before turning to electronics and releasing EPs on various labels such as Union Records, Pasqua Records, Black Mambo Records before arriving at Seres Produções, home of DJ Satelite. The Angolan quickly became his mentor and took him under his wing, opening his label’s doors and therefore those opening onto the world of Afro house. The rising star of the genre, Andile Nkosana Kato has already performed on stage alongside Boddhi Satva, Afro Pupo and DANYKAS DJ. In this mix, the young producer delivers some new tracks such as “Bastet,” “Amasukwini” and “Dance Of The Lost Tribe.”
When did you discover the afro house genre and how did you know you wanted to become a producer?
Afro House is a part of my life, but before I started making Afro, I was an experimental artist, I was all over the place. In 2018, I produced “Ho Senyehile,” the first song on the mix. I did not know what genre it was at that moment. The following year, I went back home in South Africa, that’s when my family started to be more open about my culture and ethnicity, the African way. Then, I started to put more African spiritual vibes into my tunes. Every song I produce is a part of my soul. The moment I realized that Afro House was a part of me, that’s when I knew I wanted to stick to it.
You talk about DJ Satelite as your mentor. What does he bring to you, personally and musically?
Old man Satelite! He is a powerhouse in terms of Afro House, a hard-working pioneer in the field. He is very strict but fair, he keeps on pushing me to become a better artist and a better person too. He has been helping me with my music, getting proper gear for production, branding my name and he has given me a broad platform to showcase my sound.
Can you tell us about this mix? What do these songs represent for you?
“Ho Senyehile,” the first emotional song of the mix, means “It’s broken.” The song is meant to empower people of colour experiencing racism and to call for unity, with vocals from a talented lady from South Africa, BlackPearlz. Then from there on, it’s spiritual jams throughout, music that heals, music of the ancestors, African Spiritual House music. The mix ends with a cheerful song titled “Lesedi,” meaning light, luck, good aura.
Tracklist :
1. Bun Xapa, BlackPearlz – Ho Senyehile (Spiritual Reprise Mix)
2. Bun Xapa, Mimo Doppio – Dance Of The Lost Tribe
3. Bun Xapa – Elephant People
4. ZIDDO – Sphuzo
5. Bun Xapa – Amasukwini
6. Sixnautic, Jim Mastershine, Bun Xapa, DJ Two4 – Bastet
7. Bun Xapa – Njabomvu
8. ZIDDO, Vibe Afrika – ### (Bun Xapa & Sware Spiritual Remix)
Follow Bun Xapa on SoundCloud.
