kwaito
what it is
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990s. It is based on house music beats, but typically at a slower tempo and containing melodic and percussive African samples which are looped, deep basslines and often vocals, generally male, shouted or chanted rather than sung or rapped.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make kwaito a playlist
turn these 14 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is kwaito?
Kwaito is a music genre that emerged in Johannesburg, South Africa in the early 1990s. It is based on house music beats, but typically at a slower tempo and containing melodic and percussive African samples which are looped, deep basslines and often vocals, generally male, shouted or chanted rather than sung or rapped.
What are good kwaito albums to start with?
Try Lunatic by KONGOS, Alaska 2000 by Alaska, Amajovi Jovi by Sandy B, and Fabrics of The Heart by Liquideep.
Who are some women making kwaito?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/kwaito/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making kwaito, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20