By SINDA MATIKO

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It's just past 2pm but the air is still chilly when we arrive in Bryanston, an affluent suburb of Sandton, north of Johannesburg in South Africa. Alighting from the van, everyone throws on their Sherpa blankets, as we are led into a corridor whose off-white walls capture the rich history of South African music.

Old vinyls and compact discs framed on placards decorate the passageway that empties into a studio cubicle.

It’s here we meet Antonio-David Hampton Eduardo, better known as Tony Duardo, a producer making it big in the South African music industry, currently ruled by Amapiano.

Amapiano combines elements of Kwaito and diBacardi genres, which came into prominence through the 1990s, but has now gained tremendous popularity, transcending borders in Mzansi to be celebrated globally.

Nigeria, Kenya and Zambia are leading in its airplay in Africa, according to data by the streaming platform Spotify.

Amapiano or Yanos music as many love to call it, is celebrating a decade of existence since levelling up from being an underground niche genre to taking over the mainstream music charts.

That is why I’m in a pack of journalists who have converged here for the celebrations of Decade of Amapiano, a weeklong event organised by Spotify to trace the roots and origins of Amapiano.

Tony Duardo, Amapiano Music Producer during a studio session in Sandton, Johannesburg on June 20, 2024. PHOTO | POOL

Duardo, clad in black from head to toe, takes his seat at the recording booth. A polyglot — fluent in English, French, Portuguese and Kiswahili — offers us a master class in creating the Amapiano beat.

Read: Amapiano's first decade: Journey of a billion streams

He begins from scratch, grappling with various keys on the piano and, by the end of the session, we have a beat typified by an extended intro, soaring synth lines built on euphoric chord progressions, vibrant shakers and a wide, sustained bassline.

Unlike his famous peers DJ Maphorisa, Mr JazziQ, DBN GOGO, NJelic, Musa Keys and Kelvin Momo, Duardo isn’t one to fancy limelight. This is despite his remarkable contribution to the genre, as the brains behind an impressive catalogue of Amapiano smash hits such as Tanzania, Bank Notification and Yahyuppiah.

For years the reticent DJ has produced some of the biggest acts in South Africa, such as the Tanzania hit maker DJ Uncle Waffles, but has remained largely unknown, because he has chosen to operate in the shadows, earning the moniker "the ghost producer."

“I’m purpose-driven, it’s not so much about fame and money; it’s about art," he says.

"An artiste doesn’t need to be known —their work does — and that’s the way I perceive it because your work will outlive you. I mean, that’s really the setting. It’s the reason I remained a ghost for pretty much the longest period of my career — because I was worried about the art,” he says.

According to Spotify data, Duardo ranks 10th among the top streamed Amapiano artistes in Kenya in the past 10 years. His name began attracting attention in 2019, when he worked under the tutelage of South African music executive TK Nciza, who is also credited with discovering Zahara, the recently departed South African songbird best remembered for the hit Loliwe.

Duardo says that what makes his sounds stand out is depth, a character he attributes to having been greatly influenced by his wide travels. He has lived in Nigeria, Tanzania, United Kingdom, US, France, DR Congo, Angola, Ghana and now South Africa, soaking up the sounds that each country has had to offer.

“Having been all over the world, you kind of have this depth of music. I play a fair amount of instruments: Guitar, keys, violin, piano, saxophone, just to list a few, and then I produce and do vocals. So, when I get into the studio, I am producing from the different perspectives of sonic art. Having this ability, being in control, is depth. It’s one thing to make a hit, as we have seen a lot of stars in the genre come and go, but that’s because there is so much talent, but within talent you need depth and that’s where Tony comes in,” he says.

Read: African music rising on global charts, with help from TikTok

His favourite instrument is the saxophone.

“I love the saxophone, it’s a sexy instrument and that’s what it does to every sound you want to create: It makes a song sexy. It’s like when you take a shower and put on lotion — you are feeling oily and all good. I think about sound in that sense," says with a chuckle.

Tony Duardo, Amapiano music producer. PHOTO | POOL

Though versatile, Duardo who, for many years, produced jazz and R'nB, says in the past couple of years he has been intoxicated with Amapiano.

“I love Amapiano and what it’s done for — not only the culture at large, which is black people globally, but the whole agenda of unity, bringing people together. As I look back over the years it’s definitely transformed my life and so many other people’s lives,” he says.

Despite the success he has achieved with the Amapiano genre, Duardo seems scared of what is to come next in his decade-plus music career.

“I feel like I just got started and that’s what is scary about the position I’m in. We’ve done millions of streams, we’ve done billions of views, we have done global stuff and (songwriter and singer) Tyla has shown us that there isn’t a wall an African can’t break globally.

His heritage

Coming from a diverse family, it’s difficult to put this producer in a box as far as his heritage is concerned. He speaks English with flair and deep American intonation.

“I went to the States (USA) and picked up a little bit of an accent, but I am a Zulu boy,” he explains.

The soft-spoken producer identifies as a pan-African, having spent most of his childhood in South Africa before leaving to experience the world.

“I wasn’t born in South Africa, but, living in so many countries — over 20 globally up to this point — I somewhat grew up a global citizen,” he says.

He, however, doesn’t like to discuss his personal life and upbringing so as not to ruin the art.

“I have been a ghost for years and there are upcoming projects that capture all that — which deeply speaks to that and why I am coming out of the shadows now,” he says.