Beyond Amapiano: Momo's Kurhula
A redefinition of Amapiano, where Jazz, Deep House and Soulful spirituality converge.
At this point, up the ladder of Amapiano’s rise and global dominance, it’s safe to state that Kelvin Momo has found the cheat code.
Thato Kelvin Ledwaba, affectionately known as Kelvin Momo, is a South African-born DJ, producer, and songwriter well known for his ‘private school amapiano’, a sound that he pioneered which is a fusion of deep house, jazz and lounge music. While amapiano has witnessed a large metamorphosis from its origins, merging with RNB, Afrobeats and Hip Pop et al, Momo has managed to consistently deliver under his signature sound carefully placing it as a subgenre. He’s become a force to reckon with in the Amapiano genre and a big name in the African music scene.
Kurhula, a Xhosa term which means peace, could not have been a better fit as the title of his latest album which embodies serenity, soulfulness and spirituality. Of course, the self-proclaimed Soulful Amapiano king had to outdo himself from his previous albums: Momo’s Private School, Ivy League and Amukelani. The album consists of 27 tracks which are all testament to his prowess, showcasing smooth piano melodies, deep baselines, and soulful and tribal vocals. Much to his versatility, Momo breathes some experimental tunes that incorporate hip-pop elements, afrotech, afrobeat, tribal sounds and R&B. The first ten songs or so, exhibit the new that Momo ushers in on a silver platter to his loyal fans, me included. In the song uThando featuring Sjava, he transcends the listener from an amapiano song into hip-pop seamlessly and subtly.
Complementary perfection lies in the vocals that are carried by his nothing-short-of-spiritual instrumentals. Throughout the album, we’re blessed by voices from young, not-so-mainstream artists, something that seems intentional and uniform throughout all his projects. My guess, and correct me if I’m wrong, is that his projects are also a deliberate attempt to shine a light on up-and-coming artists. But also, the employment of vocals like that of Babalwa, Yallunder and Mashudu among others, befits the soulfulness and general feel of the whole project. Songs like Amalobolo, Amanxeba and Ikhaya lam elevate the soul in that regard.
Speaking of vocals, what do you know about the sounds of birds chirping, children playing and ascension to heaven? Momo has the answer. In what seems to now be a trademark, in unison with the soulful vocals, he samples the sounds of birds singing and children jollying thereby creating what I term: a black angelic sound. It’s also in the tribal elements —the African drum and traditional chants— that the album exudes authenticity and originality of sounds from Africa. But the vocals that speak loudly are those that are silent. Songs like Tears of a Black Man, Violin Sounds and Trilogy are just instrumentals buttered with melodious wordless harmonies. It’s also in songs like these that Momo shows his magnificence.
The title of the album is the breath of each of the 27 songs. Love in the African household, cries for peace and prosperity, gratitude to God the creator and the ancestors that behold from below, the desire by men to build better homes for umndeni, family, messages of hope and inspiration — these are the universal themes explored in the project. It’s not something that hasn’t been done when it comes to messaging in the Amapiano genre. Notably, classics like Nanathula by Kabza de Small and Dj Maphorisa, my most recent favourite; Imithandazo, Khusela by Msaki and the power combo from Amifaku; Asibe Happy and Abalele are all case studies. Of course, many other amapiano songs out there embody this type of packaging and Momo shows us beautifully why he deserves to rule that avenue.
Xolani Guitars in Tintsumi and Jay Sax in Hlokomela are now regular citizens in Kelvin Momo projects. However, this time Momo outdoes himself again with Violin Sounds in what could be my favorite song from the project. It’s a song that befits a Hollywood end-movie action scene: that moment when the protagonist is reunited with their love, carrying them up in their tensed bicep arms while the building behind them blows up in smoke and fire as they model in slow motion and not looking back. Yes, it is that majestic a song and if Beethoven could plan a comeback, this would’ve been the catalyst.
Tears of a Black Man is another notable mention. The song is a blissful intermission from the upper half of the album into the Kelvin Momo non-experimental sound that everyone has grown to love and celebrate him for. It brings one into a state of calm and reflection as if metaphorically bringing you to envision why a black man would be crying particularly in a world where black men, African men mostly, are taught never to cry. The aforementioned song uThando is easily a personal favourite as well. For my 2023 Spotify wrapped Sjava, a BET award holder, was my top artist and all the top five songs played were from his latest afro-pop album, Isibuko. Needless to say, I’m biased in picking it as one of the stand-out songs but the song could not have come at a better time. The Amapiano community yearned to hear Sjava vocals on an Amapiano sound and Kelvin Momo was the best man for the job, hence the impeccable execution. Amanxeba and Amalobolo, with vocals from Cnethemba Gonelo and Babalwa respectively, also top my list of best songs. Regardless of my top picks, the album has been on repeat.
In the spirit or season of wrapped, I submit my wrap-up by saying Kurhula is a brilliant album that showcases Kelvin Momo’s talent and versatility as a producer and musician. It’s one of the few albums that I believe transcend normal barriers of entry like age, race or nationality. It’s a refreshing listen from a noisy world that no longer cares for music that heals the soul and teleports people to distant horizons of peace. It’s a sound beyond amapiano, a testament to the innovativeness and diversity of the genre but staying true to its roots and culture.
In a word, the album is timeless.
Kelvin Momo is timeless.
And everyone deserves the sounds of Kelvin Momo in their life.
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Until next Monday:
Peace✌🏾 and love 💓.
Aluta Continua✊🏾
What I’m reading:
Beyond Order by Jordan Peterson.
Favourite song/album of the week:
Of course, it’s none other than Kurhula by Kelvin Momo. The reason why we are here.
Amalobolo all time everyday