Artist of the Month: Major League DJz (Beatportal)

Over time, Bandile and Banele Mbere have managed to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to pivotal ebbs and flows within the music industry, catching each new wave just in time for dance music’s biggest swells. Today, Major League DJz are inescapable. From sold-out shows at the O2 Academy Brixton to Coachella, these two have done it all – hollowed-out basements, chic hotel rooftops, gritty carwashes, emptied warehouses and parking lots, to private beaches and festivals alike – taking amapiano to the world and inviting the world in to experience the culture that changed the landscape of pop and electronic music, first-hand.

Born in the US to parents in political exile and moving back to South Africa as kids, the two were surrounded by legendary acts such as Hugh Masekela, Caiphus Semenya, and Miriam Makeba, imbuing wisdom and ambition into their day-to-day lives. By the time they began to throw their first parties in varsity, their musical agility and taste for the bold and burgeoning found them dominating in new-age kwaito, hip hop, amapiano and now the African electronic music scene at large.

Collaborating with artists from all walks, Major League’s conquest has seen them conjuring up musical moments most would not be brave enough to try. For the two, it’s not just about making hits, but making moves that keep the music and culture they’re so fond of visible, accessible and unforgettable.

The duo’s 2021 album Outside saw them opening doors with African greats in Gyakie, Zinoleesky, Boj and Stonebwoy for a continental catalyst that saw amapiano scenes in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania continue to thrive all of their own. 2023’s Piano Republik with Major Lazer saw folks like ChannelTres and Ty Dolla$ign throw down with the likes of Yumbs, Russell Zuma and Tyla, opening up the floodgates for amapiano works that were essential to the genre’s worldwide domination. Now, with a string of club remixes and sold-out events adorning their already stacked resume, their aim is to give house music new life.

“Musically, we’re trying to find our space in global house music.” says Bandile. “We’re always looking at what’s happening. The thing about throwing parties is that, that’s how you find out what’s really going on before everyone else does. We get to see what DJs are playing, what the culture is about, what producers are making. Now a lot of producers are going into the Afrohouse space; even amapiano producers are trying to find their spot in that space and I think it’s because the needle is always moving in South Africa. We always like to try new things.”

Building frameworks for their music has always been central to their game. Piano City, a COLORS-inspired series sees the twins building custom sets that catered to vocalists who were essential to South Africa’s unique sounds. In a very DJ-centric landscape, there’s always a need for vocal producers and songwriters to have their own moments to flex – and this platform allows the guys to spotlight local wordsmiths in Bassie, Murumba Pitch, Mawhoo and more, showcasing the songs they’re best known for, as well as premiers of future gems. 

Their most popular platform however, comes in the Balcony Mix Africa Series, which has taken them to scores of cities around the world, including Dubai, New York and London for feverish sets back to back with big names within the scene. Born of a need for order in a young genre no one knew what to do with, the guys started recording just as amapiano’s golden years began in 2019. By the time the global pandemic had taken hold, the two had established what would become an iconic place for any amapiano enthusiast to enjoy the most authentic representation of this game-changing sound, from anywhere in the world.

“Amapiano blew up so fast that the structure that was needed didn’t quite happen in time. We’re getting there now though. We wanted to catch different eyes and ears around the world so we came up with the Balcony Mixes. Just a few Sundays is what we started with, and those Sundays were crazy. It’s where we felt African dance music come to life. We focused on DJs and different African dance music genres there, gqom, Afrotech, amapiano, everything. I could DJ until I’m 70, and that’s what I hope to do. Amapiano is losing its DJ face, and I think we need to fix that. In South Africa we consume amapiano like house music. Outside of South Africa though, it’s consumed like Afrobeats. So 2025 is going to be all about releasing African dance music and DJing 2 or 3 hour sets to bring that house influence back.”

Even in their latest explorations with Wiz Khalifa and Tion Wayne, the twins are careful to remain open-minded. Hooking up South African acts such as singer-songwriter Aymos and producers MORDA, Thakzin, Soa Mattrix and Mas Musiq with the likes of Victony, Pheelz and Usher for remixes of their already illustrious projects has cracked open an opportunity to see how South Africa’s mainstream approach to house can be reiterated all over the world. For so long, “making it” outside of Africa by adopting Western sentiments has been the pathway to success. Now, the twins and their ilk have shown many that this is no longer necessary.

Their latest addition to their repertoire comes in Untitled Audio, a series celebrating Afrohouse of all shades, including amapiano, Piano-Tech and 3 Step. Afrohouse as a genre is undergoing a widely felt shift along with a rise in popularity in the Western world, with Major League right on top of it.

Having released The 3 Step Ritual with Atmos Blaq earlier this year, they explore the role amapiano artists play in today’s Afro house renaissance, where house music is pop music and the world is theirs to conquer. The project oscillates in just eight tracks, with rousing invocations true to Afrohouse by Azana in “Amasango”, peaking with Mthunzi and Eeque’s goose-pimple inducing “Basheshe Bahleka” and ending with an irresistible pop-tastic take with GRAMMY-winning Swati vocal producer, Manana.

In it, their creative choices are ballsy and spirited, with just enough restraint to help the music straddle all sensibilities. A once thought to be niche sonority has shown many that language barriers and allegiances between genres are no longer enough to deter those who want to find their place in the groove.

“The way that “Move” exploded, with Keinemusik using Malachiii’s vocals showed us that our music is consumable by anyone. I think the ‘African Dream’ right now is to fill up venues outside of Africa and have our music felt there, the same way we feel it at home. The toughest part is to have people consume music the way we do, with the dancing and parties and culture. Back in the day [Western audiences] would listen to it, maybe on the radio, and move on. Now we want them to go through each song on the album, sing with us word for word at the shows… That’s the space Africans want to be in. That’s the African Dream. Awards and everything are nice but how else do we want to be celebrated outside of Africa and what can that look like?”

Only time will tell. Until then, we can look forward to Major League returning to South Africa this month for the next Cape Town edition of Balcony Mix Africa to usher in yet another year of major moves.

Listen to Major League DJz’s ‘Artist of the Month’ chart below, or check it out on Beatport.