
Did You Know These Music Genres Were Invented in South Africa?From kwela to kwaito, here are four music genres that were invented in South Africa.
by Alex Coyne
04-08-2023 14:32
in Music
Did You Know These Music Genres Were Invented in South Africa?
Image by Pexels
The CAT scan and Kreepy Krauly are two proudly South African inventions that are known about almost everywhere. Traditional food like bobotie and bunny chow are very much part of South Africa's vibrant and sometimes spicy culture.
--
But what about the music genres that have come from South Africa's rich diversity?
ALSO READ: 12 Incredible inventions to make you feel Proudly South African
From kwela to kwaito, here are 4 music genres that were invented in South Africa.
--
Boeremusiek (1650s) According to Traditional Boeremusiek of South Africa, this type of dancing-and-singing music started in the mid-1600s, with the combination of Dutch settlers and traditional English music and instruments.
Boeremusiek ( boer music') an informal mixture of different instruments and styles, including the English concertina and the banjo. The music style was quickly adopted into traditional farming culture, becoming especially popular during the 1930s to 1940s during the Second World War.
Kwela (1950s) According to SAHistory.org, kwela music is a form of South African music that evolved in the 1950s. Kwela evolved from previous forms of popular cultural music, including marabi. Most kwela music relies heavily on the pennywhistle, and eventually brought some of its influences to South African jazz.
--
ALSO READ: Plettenberg Bay named South Africa's third Whale Heritage Site
Kwaito (1990s) Kwaito music evolved in the 1990s, originating in the area of Soweto, Johannesburg where the popular bass-driven music soon spread to other areas of the country. Kwaito music, from the slang for angry', was one way to discuss current social issues through music and great beats.
Kwaito is considered a mixture of many musical styles, including kwela music and hip hop. The genre also took some inspiration from South African musicians like Brenda Fassie.
Gqom (2010s) According to Wikitionary, gqom is a minimalist style of house music .
Gqom originated in the ranks, townships, and clubs of Durban. Its production style is minimalist, using only the most basic music production suites, and gqom music originally made its way around through informal distribution on CDs and memory sticks passed from one fan to the next.
ALSO READ: South African slang word of the day: Faka
SOAPIE QUIZ: How well do you know Gqeberha: The Empire'? ENTER HERE & WIN R1 000 in cash!
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
30/06/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
MainStreaming, the award-winning and innovative Edge Video Delivery Network, today announced that it has been selected by ITV to support the delivery of ITVX, I...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
When Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! needed to upgrade their wireless communications system, they turned to Clear-Com FreeSpeak wireless for their iconic televi...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/06/2026
Other World Computing Launches New Atlas Core Line with 256GB CFExpress 4.0 Type...
30/06/2026
DaVinci Resolve Studio Used for Taketoshi Sado's Perfume Cold Sleep -25 year...
30/06/2026
As organizations move from AI pilots to production AI factories, infrastructure decisions have shifted from peak chip specifications to cost per token: how many...
30/06/2026
Editor's note: This post is part of Into the Omniverse, a series focused on ...
30/06/2026
Scripps Research scientists demonstrate a faster, cheaper route to making critical drugs using common table sugar New method illustrates how to build a tough ch...
29/06/2026
By Andy Rayner, CTO, Appear
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the largest football tou...
29/06/2026
A new multi-country study from ESL FACEIT Group, Hero Esports, and Niko Partners estimates that 400 million Gen Z consumers regularly engage with esports, under...
29/06/2026
ESPN will mark America's 250th anniversary with a series of content initiatives across its linear, digital, and streaming platforms, including a special edi...
29/06/2026
The Esports Foundation has named OBSBOT the Official Camera and Webcam Partner for the Esports World Cup 2026, bringing the company's AI-powered imaging tec...
29/06/2026
Insight Productions has launched Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit designed specifically for esports production, live entertainment, and digital-fi...
29/06/2026
Gravity Media once again provided broadcast, streaming, and content-distribution...
29/06/2026
The All England Lawn Tennis Club and IBM have introduced new and enhanced digita...
29/06/2026
Four-layer instrument aimed at dark electronic music
Excite Audio's latest software instrument has been designed with dark drum and bass, atmospheric te...
29/06/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
29/06/2026
Details environmental policies & results
The Focusrite Group have just announced that following a long audit process, they have published their 2026 sustain...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
CVP, one of Europes leading suppliers of professional video and broadcast solutions, has announced the launch of CVP Warranty , a new extended warranty programm...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/06/2026
Anthropic's Claude models in Microsoft Foundry - hosted on Microsoft Azure a...
29/06/2026
Arvato Systems Achieves AWS Cloud Operations Competency
The team behind the AWS Cloud Operations Competency (from left to right: Philipp Hellmich, Johanna Bod...
29/06/2026
RT today announced that Ger Gilroy will join the RT Podcasts team to present a daily sports podcast. Launching later this year, the new show will set the spor...
29/06/2026
RT Commercial announced OUTsurance as sponsor of the Oliver Callan show on RT Radio 1 from Wednesday 1 July.
Oliver Callan doubles the fun, delivering two ...
29/06/2026
Showcasing the importance of open source innovation in American AI, Palantir'...
28/06/2026
Half-size model joins Console 1 line-up
Shortly after the release of their new Flow Studio controller, Softube have announced the launch of another new surf...
28/06/2026
New EXO Series DSP control software announced
EVE Audio's EXO Series monitor range has just gained a new software element that provides remote access to...
28/06/2026
Freedman Labs Releases PrepMyMedia and ViewMyAttic for Post Production Professio...
27/06/2026
There's no doubt that you've seen the world through Amy Vincent's ey...
27/06/2026
Brings together saturation & lo-fi effects
Following on from the release of their Voxcraft vocal-processing plug-in, UJAM have announced the launch of Retro...
27/06/2026
A record 4.84 million Australians choose SBS as the Socceroos advance at FIFA Wo...
27/06/2026
Why CRAS Upgraded to Symphony I/O MK II When an audio school runs studios all day, every day, gear doesn't just need to sound good , it needs to survive rea...
27/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
27/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...