Black Motion

South African electronic pair Black Motion fuse house rhythms with energetic local percussion elements alongside vocals delivered in multiple tongues by various contributors drawn from their homeland's vibrant dance scene. Their initial release, the 2011 album Talking to the Drums, positioned them prominently within the emerging South African house movement. In subsequent years they achieved global recognition through a varied path that maintained ties to international dance trends yet remained grounded in the diverse traditions of their origins, as evidenced by the 2016 South African Music Award-winning Ya Badimo and the 2018 effort Moya Wa Taola. Comprising DJ and producer Robert Bongani Mohosana together with percussionist Thabo "Smol" Mabogwane, the two began working together in Soshanguve, situated north of Pretoria. Having grown up amid the house explosion of the 1990s, they launched Black Motion in 2010 with the goal of incorporating stronger local flavors into the genre. By incorporating traditional drums along with additional native instruments and featuring singers who performed in English as well as Zulu and Tsonga, they achieved early hits including "Banane Mavoko" and "Set Me Free," tracks later included on Talking to the Drums. Aquarian Drums followed in 2012, after which Black Motion started performing abroad across Europe and North America, drawing fresh listeners through energetic stage presentations. After the gold-certified Fortune Teller in 2014, they received broad praise for Ya Badimo in 2016, an album that earned a South African Music Award and included appearances by Tlokwe Sehume, Wunmi, and Simphiwe Dana. Moya Wa Taola from 2018 offered another eclectic collection marked by distinctive beats and sounds plus contributions from Caiiro and Nokwazi. Throughout the next year they issued tracks such as "Joy Joy" with Brenden Praise and "Everything" featuring Mo-T.