Mapetla taps into Afro Pop
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Sunday October 9, 2022 06:00
The new tune was dropped recently just a day before Independence day. With this new single, the versatile Mapetla has tapped into the Afro pop sound.
The song, which was produced by Cany Mckenzo at X3mix Records is also a true reflection of Mapetla’s understanding of the music and how he has developed his appreciation of others over the years.
Mapetla is able to connect his gravel voice with Dato Seiko’s soft voice, while the sound of a trumpet is clearly dominant towards the end. Being a love song, it has that calming effect about it, clearly one for a relaxed occasion.
The song is a complete deviation of the style that Mapetla is known for but leans more towards Dato Seiko’s style. While Mapetla has been a household name in the country for sometime, Dato Seiko is currently one of the best vocalists in the country.
She is slowly making a name for herself. Mapetla told Arts & Culture that the song is already receiving promising airplay on local radio stations. On working with her sister, the Jorotane hitmaker said they always keep things professional in the studio.
“It’s amazing working with her. The good thing about it is that we are both as professional as we can. We know that when we are in the studio, it’s not at home where we can be relaxed,” said Mapetla.
He said after he recorded the song, the producer advised him that the song needed a female voice on it. “I had not thought about her initially but Cany asked me to talk to my sister.
So, we recorded and realized we killed, and it was nice. It’s always a great pleasure and honour working with one of the best vocalists ever to grace our country.
As professionals we know that the other part is business and the other is family, so we are able to differentiate between the two,” he added. Mapetla said the song is part of the project that he is currently working on. He explained that with this new project, he is trying to tap into a new market that he has never explored fully in the past.
He said his upcoming project will comprise of a combination of Kwaito, Afro Pop, gospel and a bit of Amapiano as well. He said his plan is to start performing with a live band, which is synonymous with Afro Pop genre.