In these times of trends, TikTok challenges and the rapid pace the arts are moving, we run the risk of letting quality creativity slip by the wayside.
Someone like Killer Mike wins a Grammy for his efforts with rap music and people claim to have no idea who he is, despite his contributions to the culture being pivotal.
Locally, we rejoice in the sounds of amapiano as we have watched genres like gqom and kwaito – which could both be considered to have led to the birth of amapiano – wither and perish.
Amapiano has the unique ability to borrow from sounds like kwaito and deep house while still being its own thing. But the fear that those other genres have lost some of their shine grows immensely, especially in the minds of people who follow and cherish this movement.
Reginald Makofane is a deep house DJ and producer who is better known as Malankane and he is taking it upon himself to be a custodian of the culture.
The 46-year-old from Pretoria has watched the industry change from taste to taste, and observed sounds morph into subgenres for over two decades now.
“I’d go to my friend's house to record music; we go to bashes and stokvels to DJ because that was how we started earning ourselves a living and gaining opportunities to play at nightclubs. I used to play Cassette back in high school and that’s how I fell in love with deep house. This music tells a story and is also a stress reliever," Malankane explains.
“A person can be stressed or depressed but after listening to a session of deep House their attitude changes, that's what music must do to people's souls.”
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He has an extensive repertoire and has collaborated with the likes of Funk DeepStar, Oscar Mbo and Miggs Foreal. More recently he has been in the studio with Tekniq, Brewed Souls, and Deep Xcape. He has no fear in saying proudly that Deep House will never perish.
“I feel it will grow popular as now it is an alternative to amapiano. Fans tend to listen to deep house music if they've heard enough of amapiano. Deep house always evolves.”
He isn’t lying as deep house has been a staple on our soundscape for years with people like Lebo Mathosa and Tamara Dey using these sonics in the early '90s to Black Coffee who still very much dabbles in this genre even in this era and is now internationally recognised and revered for it.
“The sound is unique, and it touches my soul, like I said before have a dreadful day and listen to a deep house session, and you'll feel better. It’s a music for the soul.”
Now he isn’t saying all that to appear to be besmirching the fraternity of piano.
“Amapiano is a different genre, and it will always play a big role in the music industry, and it will never replace deep House," he adds diplomatically.
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Malankane is working on an EP with up-and-comer Tekniq along with some of his previous creative co-conspirators in Funk DeepStar, Oscar Mbo and Miggs Foreal.
He fully understands how trends ebb and flow, but he is adamant about deep House and every DJ who creates this still very much has something to say.
“Deep house will always be relevant because you can listen to it chilling in a restaurant or driving and also in a club it will always be different because of its style.”
