Gqom music is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with. The genre keeps most of us on our feet and it’s no surprise that British model Jourdan Dunn and American producer and rapper Swizz Beatz bob their heads to it.
The genre took off with such force that MTV Base saw it fit to give us "Gqom Nation" last year, and now the show is back.
The second season of the music and dance show sees the return of Ntando Duma as host, joined by Busiswa. The gqom star, known for hits such as "Banomoya" and "Midnight Starring," said she was excited to join the "Gqom Nation" team.
“I have done some work on MTV Base live shows in the past and a lot of their events. Some of their producers have seen me at these events so they asked me if I would like to present and I said I would love to,” she said.
undefinedBusiswa has hosted music and dance shows before, but said that hosting this show was different because of her involvement in the genre.
“Gqom is a relatively new music genre and the nice thing is that I've been heavily involved in it. So, I'm able to offer nice insights during the show. I know some of the dance moves, and I'm familiar with some of the lingo.
“Even when I'm interviewing the DJs and artists, I'm able to offer insights and align these to their backgrounds, because this is something I'm involved in and know about. This is complemented by the research I've been doing,” she said.
The star described "Gqom Nation" as a futuristic dance and music show and said that joining Ntando Duma was a great experience.
“Ntando was pretty cool - we all know she has a bubbly personality and she was very welcoming as she guided me into it. I also think we played off each other quite well and I'm excited for people to see that dynamic, especially because people love to say women cannot work together, which is something I'm always disputing.
“Hopefully, people will get to see and know that two strong personalities can play off each other’s strengths and support each other in roles such as this one,” said Busiswa.
The show will see some of the biggest names in gqom perform on its stage, and Busiswa has her highlights. “I loved having Dladla Mshunqisi, because his performance was absolutely amazing. Of course, DJ Tira as well. When he was DJing it just turned into a humdinger.”
Asked what she thought of the industry, specifically gqom, where she is a game-changer, she said: “The gqom industry is taking over the world.
"People should look out for the international stuff that is going to be happening, and the whole world is watching. They are seeing us creating this authentic sound and growing it, and they want a piece of that. All we need is for South Africa to support that.”
The star has just released her latest album, "Summer Life". “There’s a lot of new music, and the collaborations that I have on the album are with a lot of young, up-and-coming producers that you need to know. Hopefully, you'll get to know them more as they release their own hit singles.”
Speaking about what to expect on the show, Busiswa said: “I think the focus and the core is the dancing, then the music. We do try to get the kids to tell their stories more; we are trying to get the vibe of where they are mentally. It is not just presenters talking all the time.”
Gqom Nation’s second season premieres on Friday, January 25, at 6pm on MTV Base, DStv channel 322.