Gqom is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 2010s from Durban, South Africa. It developed out of South African house music, kwaito and hip-hop. Unlike other South African electronic music, gqom is typified by minimal, raw and repetitive sound with heavy bass beats but without the four-on-the-flour rhythm pattern.
The word gqom - sometimes expressed as qgom, igqom, gqomu or variants thereof - derives from an onomatopoeic combination of click consonants in isiZulu and isiXhosa meaning a hitting drum.
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Gqom is a genre of electronic dance music that emerged in the early 2010s from Durban, South Africa. It developed out of South African house music, kwaito and hip-hop. Unlike other South African electronic music, gqom is typified by minimal, raw and repetitive sound with heavy bass beats but without the four-on-the-flour rhythm pattern.
The word gqom - sometimes expressed as qgom, igqom, gqomu or variants thereof - derives from an onomatopoeic combination of click consonants in isiZulu and isiXhosa meaning a hitting drum. Gqom was developed by a young generation of technologically skilled DJs producing in D.I.Y. fashion with software such as FL Studio and often self distributing their music on file sharing platforms. Gqom music is associated with a number of distinctive dance moves, like the 'bhenga', 'vosho', or the 'gwara gwara'. From the mid-2010s the genre gained prominence abroad, especially in London, and its dance moves were adopted by famous musicians in the United States. Rihanna performed the 'gwara gwara' at the 2018 Grammy awards while Childish Gambino performs it in his video for 'This is America' and Chris Brown at the new 2019 Video 'Back To Love.
Music connoisseurs who embraced the new sound included the likes of South African rapper Okmalumkoolkat, Italian record label Gqom Oh owner, Malumz Kole, Afrotainment record label owner DJ Tira, as well as Babes wodumo with the music taste-maker and personal public relations liaison, Cherish LaLa Mankai. Related artists are DJ Lag, DJ Bongz, Lord The Dj, MasterT, Dj Noffoh, Dj Nkaa, Rudeboyz, Distruction Boyz & AudioBoyz.
