Music producer Blanka Mazimela releases afro-house EP Gengesi

Image credit: Bruno Morphet at Plan B Design

South African house DJ/producer Blanka Mazimela has released his debut ‘Gengesi’ EP featuring the talented Zimbabwe-born UK-based singer Oluhle on Shimza’s new label, Kunye. 

Blanka Mazimela is one of South Africa’s finest rising talents to come out of dance music’s thriving afro-house scene within recent years. His unique sound has garnered much attention throughout Europe and beyond owing to his ongoing relationship with Germany’s revered Get Physical Music who most recently commissioned Mazimela to compile and mix their Africa Gets Physical Vol.3 compilation and have previously released his acclaimed EPs ‘Mpisi’ and ‘Ziduli Zetafa’ plus single ‘Phezulu’. 

The gifted Johannesburg based creative also features as one of the lead artists and producers of the Bantwanas (a collective of African producers, songwriters and musicians) and is the proud Head of Department for Soul Candi’s Institute of Music, South Africa’s most distributed music production course. 

With all of this experience under his belt, Mazimela is back with one of his best releases to date, an essential 3-track offering on Kunye – an exciting new label set-up by the afro house hero Shimza to showcase South African talent to a European audience.

The EP’s title track ‘Gengesi’ kicks things off boasting a mesmerizing tribal groove that encompasses descending marimba melodies, dramatic sound effects and arpeggiated synth elements to perfectly underpin the outstanding vocal performance provided by the talented Zimbabwe-born UK-based singer, Oluhle. 

Next, Mazimela delivers yet another stunning dancefloor-ready offering this time in the form of ‘Normli’, a powerful energy-laced afro-tech workout which incorporates a heavy electro-tinged bassline, a driving rhythm and lush breakdown chords to continue the release in style.

Last but not least, the respected Hungarian DJ/producer Sobek delivers his unique twist on ‘Gengesi’, opting to keep the original’s key elements but add an abundance of techy chord stabs, housey percussion and warp sound effects to create a slightly edgier afro-tech affair.

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