Spliced to premium Xhosa inspired contemporary knitwear — MaXhosa Africa — over four fortnights today, Amapiano record producer as well as global Disc Jockey Ayanda Oratile Yumba “oeuvre knit” well-regarded Zulu traditional healer and writer, Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa’s “cringe-worthy” wisdom. Through a — flavoured in loops, strings, keys as well as trills — resplendently prefab scale of crooned folklore aesthetics titled ‘Sons and Daughters of Credo Mutwa’; the richness of African culture would alter into a kind of fête, concurring pushing the boundaries of artistic quislingism.
Silver-tongued, Laduma Ngxokolo, founder of the “rein in” traditional Xhosa beadwork school of thought using South African mohair as well as wool — troupe, divulged the flapping auricles and eyelids EP (extended play) — that has been scoring features on the knitwear enterprise’s runway fashion shows since last 12-month; as a representation of a “convergence of our shared cultural heritage as well as creative expression.” Knowing his way around artistry, the platinum selling producer and DJ, who goes by the alias Yumbs, would plainly opine working on this undertaking as “a truly inspiring experience!”
Granted novel life through the attention-getting chords as well as tempo of Amapiano; Mutwa’s ideologist perspicacity, touching on the traditional cultism for Terpsichore, is an incorporeal cat’s-paw. Between the lines; Yumbs — who from as young as ten, was already playing drums at a local ecclesiastical in his neck of the woods — is still “starving hungry” to render listeners with sweeping jazzy occurrences.
Holy with a musical dower, fostered when he attended the National School of Art — where he would erudite how to play bass and electric guitar; Yumbs not so long ago, unleashed his up-to-the-second chef-d’oeuvre termed ‘Off My Mind’.
A quislingism involving a cast of hit aces namely Focalistic a South African Hip Hop knocker as well as Amapiano chief lyricist, Joeboy a singer songwriter from Nigeria, Grammy award-winning ballad maker and vocalist Bien (Kenya), as well as Ghanaian-American vocalist and songwriter Moliy; the track came about during a Warner Music Africa’s annual songwriting as well as recording camp in Aburi, Ghana — last January.
Cardiopulmonary exercise in his memory lane; Yumbs — who at the camp likewise linked up with Nigerian chanted composition lords: Fave a singer-songwriter and recording artist, Qing Madi a singer-songwriter as well as dancer, Blaqbonez a rapper, and South Africa’s humming goddess: Nkosazana Daughter; would become an official drummer for Mzansi rapper Priddy Ugly — at the age of 16.
Having furthered his studies at the Academy of Sound Engineering, majoring in ‘Audio Technology & Sound Engineering’; Yumbs’ tie up with more gold standard auditory communication brainiacs from Nigeria at the WMA organised camp — would also turn out to be testimonial to the extent of his stretch, in terms of order of magnitude behind the boards as well as decks.
That is to say the Amapiano record producer “square-toed” worked with Telz a record producer and songster, P.Priime a record producer, DJ, music director, mixing engineer as well as composer, Dera (Deratheboy) a mixing engineer who is a Grammy award-winning producer, and TSB a multi-platinum producer from the UK.
Not only was he the main librettist — in his senior year (2020) — for the production ‘Hip-Hop Helmet’, which premiered at the Nelson Mandela Theatre; Yumbs was also a “staring at the sun” cantabile director. He would — in the same time period — make his first foray into the commercial stage, by co-producing fellow South African record producer Musa Keys’ number ‘Vula Mlomo’.
With a unique sound as well as amazing ear for “lethally layered” bridges and hooks, which has led him to taking the role of executive producer on projects; Yumbs’ inaugural EP persona was on referee as well as footballer-cum-dancer musician Pabi Cooper’s maiden EP — ‘Cooperville’.
A self-taught pianist; Yumbs’ debut EP — ‘The First Offering’ — was dropped in October of 2022. On the soulful toil of blues which catapulted to carping acclaim; the latter artist would tag team with Disc Jockeys and record producers — Kelvin Momo as well as DBN Gogo, multifaceted singable artists — Babalwa M and Baby S.O.N, as well as singer-songwriters — Boohle and Aymos.
African luminaries orchestrating an Amapiano love saga; this spick-and-span schmaltzy song ‘Off My Mind’; gets down with the velvet tones of Bien, weaving a seductive tapestry with the haunting refrain: “Tell me what I do to get you off my mind.” Focalistic then injects his trademark ‘Sipitori’ (Pretoria) patois, infusing the gem with raw get-up-and-go verve.
Lilting through the sphere of love as well as desire; Joeboy adds an Afrobeat-inspired cadence, harmonising seamlessly with the birdcall’s gist. As the tune sways, Moliy’s vocals delicately caress, drawing the hearer abyssal into the audible sensation running noose. This lullaby transcends benchmarks, melding soulful plangency with dance-able offerings — inviting audiences from every nook of the universe, to join in its dulcet reverie.
An epoch-making milepost cementing his gripe on the global euphony vista, tailing his white-shoe partnership with Warner Music Africa (WMA); Yumbs’ unparalleled portmanteau of natural endowment and creative thinking, shines through on ‘Off My Mind’. With that, showcasing his ability to knife thrust limits as well as construct tonal patterns that go past genres.
Going forward to solidify his stance as one of the “to the highest degree” galvanic endows in the industry; Yumbs has since proceeded to bring forth and work along anthem supreme beings from the ‘rainbow nation’: Amapiano Disc Jockey as well as ditty-producing duo Major League Djz, Dj Maphorisa a record producer, Disc Jockey, songster and composer, as well as Blxckie a Hip-Hop knocker, songwriter and record producer.
Like a bear witness to a revolution on the bleeding edge, he keeps cooking up super scrumptious and “worth the grease” joints with obsession! On an operation to spread his beats to the planetary, Yumbs would join forces with American berceuse connoisseurs: Will.I.Am a rapper, singer, DJ, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur as well as actor, and Pharrell Williams a record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter as well as fashion designer — at a music camp in Dubai.
After fellow singer, composer, rapper, dancer and actor Chris Brown’s tap on her canon blast called ‘How We Roll’; the fall of last year saw Ciara an American singer, songwriter, businesswoman, dancer, model as well as actress — enlist the help of Yumbs, to remix the jam. With the rubric for being Mzansi’s second highest streamed artist having imaged and hung for a lengthy spell above the Kagiso township-born DJ’s skull; this smash remix to the latter donut, non-too-moot set the tone for him this year.
Grant Moyo is a prolific writer, innovative media personality, entrepreneur and a creative artist who is passionate about using his creative mind for the betterment of society. Follow him on X: @TotemGrant