{"id":41440,"date":"2019-09-23T19:10:34","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T18:10:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/muzi-flag-bearer-for-the-vanguard-of-south-africas-electro-scene\/"},"modified":"2020-05-04T22:40:15","modified_gmt":"2020-05-04T21:40:15","slug":"muzi-flag-bearer-for-the-vanguard-of-south-africas-electro-scene","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pan-african-music.com\/en\/muzi-flag-bearer-for-the-vanguard-of-south-africas-electro-scene\/","title":{"rendered":"Muzi: flag bearer for the vanguard of South Africa’s electro scene"},"content":{"rendered":"

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From revelation to confirmation \u2013 the South African producer Muzi is back with Zeno<\/em>, a real and uncompromising concentration of shining Zulu house. Gathering around him the new guard of the South African electro scene, he intends to prove that the Rainbow Nation can shine all by itself.<\/span><\/h4>\n

Photo credit: Lulama\u00a0Mlamb<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot believe it,\u201d admits Muzi, rubbing his eyes, tired from a long European spring-summer tour that ended with a crazy party on 13th July on stage at Afropunk Paris. Hailed by Stormzy and Diplo for his blazing kwaito and Zulu syncopations since <\/span>Boom Shaka<\/span><\/i> in 2016 \u2013 named after the pioneers of the genre \u2013 then with the bold <\/span>Afrovision<\/span><\/i> in 2018, the producer has quickly become unavoidable. He even participated alongside FAKA and Sho Madjozi on Damon Albarn’s album <\/span>Africa Express<\/span><\/i>, dedicated to the spirited southern African electro scene.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zeno<\/span><\/i> is about to be released, and it is a record so shaped by Zulu house hits that it confirms Muzi’s artistic precision. With a striped polo shirt and a baseball cap, the young man doesn\u2019t seem at all out of place amongst the trendy decor of the vegan cafe from where he speaks freely, a glass of water close at hand. But Muzi started a long way away from here.<\/span><\/p>\n


\nZULU BEATS<\/b><\/span><\/h6>\n

The story starts in Empangeni, a township two hours from Durban in the heart of KwaZulu-Natal, the cradle of Zulu maskandi folk music. Despite living in constant \u201csurvival mode\u201d, his family were great music lovers. His mother was a gospel and opera singer, his brother rapped in the neighbourhood, while his father collected vinyls \u2013 everything from Daft Punk to Hugh Masekela. The massive percussions of traditional Zulu rhythms are expressed daily in Empangeni, on the streets and during ceremonies. Shy, this skater boy observed and absorbed what would become the eclectic backbone of his future productions.<\/span>

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Photo credit: Jay Teja<\/p><\/div>\n


\u201cViolence also played a major role for me. The township was not quiet and my mother imposed a 5pm curfew. So I had all the time in the world to make music\u201d he recalls, before adding in a serious tone, \u201cI never thought I would leave Empangeni one day.<\/em>\u201d
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From an old 40GB computer and Fruity Loops software \u2013 which he still uses today \u2013 were born Muzi\u2019s first productions. After a few badly paid DJ sets between Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria, he would soon cut his teeth in Berlin, \u201cwhere the electro scene is sharper and less commercialised. It was an initiation, a pilgrimage that allowed me to discover myself but also to understand that it was in Africa and for Africa that I wanted to make music\u201d he breathes.<\/span><\/p>\n

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