OMAGOQA
Hailing from Durban, South Africa, the trio Omagoqa consisting of Andile Mazibuko (Ma_A), Franco Makhathini (KB) and Njabulo Sibiya (Chase), is rooted in the rhythmic pulse of percussion and bass, the essence of Gqom.
Their musical odyssey began as individual journeys in 2012, leading to the formation of the collective Unticipated Sounds in 2014. Venturing on, they soon founded Omagoqa, with their foundational tools being a simple laptop and FL Studio. Initially influenced by South Africa’s hailing house music and stalwarts such as Da Capo and Duke Soul, their sound matured drawing inspiration from the unique style of DJ Lag amongst others.
Omagoqa stand today as a testament to the evolving and vibrant gqom genre, creating new wave gqom with the artistic intention to always let the masses feel the indigenous authenticity of sound. Their music showcases a version of gqom coined ‘uThayela’ & ‘Is’qinsi’. ‘uThayela’ translates literally to “corrugated iron” which you find being used as roofing material on most South African homes. It’s used to describe “a rougher sound with a harder bassline that it is made for clubs”. ‘Is’qinsi’ is described as an infusion between ‘uThayela’ and electronic sounds generally associated with foreign based Electronica type musical elements.
Having been together for over 10 years, the trio have worked alongside and the likes of DBN Gogo, DJ Lag, Que DJ, Zvri, Jimbo Soundz, Cultivated Soulz, Scelo Gowane, Madanon, Newlandz & Dee Traits. From touring Europe and the UK in 2023, to performing at events like Ballantines Boiler Room, Omagoqa is slowly cementing their name in the music industry.