South African producer DJ Melzi is ready to take amapiano to the next level.
Dubbed the pioneer of new school amapiano, DJ Melzi releases his latest offering, the single “Piano Ungenzani”, off his forthcoming sophomore album, “A 19-Year-Old King”.
The single follows the successful release of the “La Melza” music video, which has garnered over 1.5 million views on YouTube since its release three months ago.
“Piano Ungenzani” features Bassie on vocals as well as the kings of amapiano, MFR Souls.
“Piano Ungenzani is created from the nuances of amapiano, as well as Pitori (Pretoria) deep house, Bacardi and electro. It embodies a feel-good and chilled vibe that evokes a lot of feeling into the listener,” offers DJ Melzi.
The young record producer says when he started making music, he didn’t expect such an overwhelming response from fans across South Africa and beyond.
“It's an honour that I already have such a big fan base at the age of 19 and that I'm able to be such a big influence to my audience of all ages,” admits the star.
He adds that it’s his “unique sound” that makes him stand out from the rest.
“People say that I live in my world because of the way I experience music, and my interpretation and the ear that I have for it, and that that's evident in my music. I have an eclectic taste for music spanning from soul to retro house, electro house, deep house, Afrosoul.
“I live in my bubble of music, and I'm very happy to say that, because it’s allowed me to be inspired by so many elements of music and find my unique sound within all of it.”
His passion for music was discovered at a young age, thanks to his music enthusiast parents.
“My love for music is so ingrained in the person I am, that I sometimes joke and say that music raised me. I grew up in a household where everyone had a deep love for music, and that moulded my journey into music.
“I started mixing at the age of 6, and experimenting with different musical instruments and creating my mixes at the age of 10 – some of those mixes I've managed to keep until today.
“I remember when I was 12, instead of PlayStations, my parents got me these amazing Numark devices, which were the old versions of the CD Jays, which was one of the best gifts I've ever received, and that I still have today,” recalls the star.
Though he’s been doing music all his life, it was his 2020 debut album “Eighteen” that officially introduced the music scene.
Now, DJ Melzi is in the studio cooking up another big project, “A 19-Year-Old King”, featuring some of Mzansi’s finest – the likes Senzo Afrika, Alie Keys, Cassper Nyovest, Abidoza, Mkeyz, Mphow69 and Nobantu Vilakazi.
The album is set to release in spring. The official release date is yet to be announced.
“The songs are all different and express my growth so far in my musical progression,” reveals the star.
“Piano Ungenzani” is available on all streaming platforms.