Uncle Waffles Delivers Hypnotic Mix of Amapiano Beats at The Midway for its 9 Year Anniversary
Photography by John Slack
On the night of July 18th, early arrivals began to trickle into the RIDE auditorium at The Midway to warm up the night with sounds from DJ Jojo, Hunnybee, and Kendollaz. An eclectic mix of music such as reggaeton, funk, R&B, and afrobeats, staples of nightlife among Black communities, permeated the building, setting the stage for what came next, both that night and in the genre now taking over: amapiano.
As the melodies throughout the night progressed, guests anticipated for the clock to strike midnight, regularly calling out, "Wafflesss, we want to partyyy!"
Uncle Waffles had arrived promptly for her 12 AM set, unofficially announced by an increasing swell of cheers as fans realized she had appeared on the stage during DJ Kendollaz’ final song. As she picked up a bedazzled pink mono headphone and pressed it to her ear, the sonic transition from smooth R&B to a heavy amapiano beat signaled the opening of her performance. The deep log drum bass that amapiano is famous for pulsed through the venue's speakers, causing a reverberation through everyone’s core,and somehow creating a simultaneous buzz of excitement and sedation, forcing the audience to surrender to its rhythms.
A slow build up of log drum beats introduced the rising chants within the track ‘Too Cool’, the first song off her new EP 4 Da Streets, recently released in May.
The entire room had been transported to a steamy nightclub in Johannesburg, providing a momentary escape from the frigid blues of San Francisco.
The electrifying energy within the building skyrocketed when she moved from behind the DJ booth to the front of the stage to shimmy her hips to ‘UYAH’, and gave the audience little to no time to recover before mixing in her hit song ‘Wadibusa’.
Notably, she performed the choreography without the accompaniment of her dancers this time, proving herself to be a powerhouse solo performer in her own right. Since Uncle Waffles’ last visit to the Bay Area, it's clear to those who have witnessed her rise that she has become a much more intentional and seasoned performer, perfecting a unique balance between showcasing her personal artistry while fully captivating the audience. Displaying a clear devotion to her craft, she has shown no signs of slowing down the creative streak she has been on since her debut project Red Dragon.
Despite the lyrics in her songs being primarily in indigenous languages such as isiZulu and siSwati, her music attracts a diverse crowd from all walks of life, standing as a testament to music itself being a universal language. Understanding the lyrics isn't necessary to be fully enveloped in the experience; instead, listeners rely on the natural and inherent physical reaction to follow the rhythm and the pulse of the music. The repetitive beat, high tempo, and sonic layering work together in an innovative fashion that is immediately distinguishable from any other genre, paired with the intense visual performance of amapiano, which is characterized by percussive dance movements and animated facial expressions.
Her set concluded with a performance of the hit song ‘Zenzele', and true to form, Uncle Waffles invited a fan on stage to partner with her in the playful dance routine, while the crowd erupted as the two moved in tandem.
The 26-year-old ‘Princess of Amapiano’ began to make her exit around 1 AM at the introduction of the final set of the night by DJ Kenzo, successfully ending her performance without causing a break in the exhilaration of the room. However, Uncle Waffles couldn't leave her Bay Area fans before waving goodbye, forming a heart with her hands toward those raising the flag of her home country of Eswatini, and singing along to a few lines of ‘Tobetsa 3.0.’
It’s safe to say that those who have the opportunity to experience an Uncle Waffles performance are due for an unforgettable night out. Make sure to include yourself in the festivities, you don’t want to miss the next time Uncle Waffles is in the Bay Area.